The Description.

            1. Ribwort or small Plantain hath many leaves flat spread upon the ground, narrow, sharp pointed, and ribbed for the most part with five nerves or sinews, and therefore it was called Quinque-nervia; in the middle of which leaves riseth up a crested or ribbed stalk, bearing at the top a dark or dusky knap, set with a few such white flowers as are the flowers of wheat. The root and other parts are like the other Plantains.

            There is another less kind of this Ribwort, which differs not from the first mentioned in any thing but the smallness thereof.

            2. Rose Ribwort hath many broad and long leaves of a dark green colour, sharp pointed, and ribbed with fine nerves or sinews like the common Ribwort; amongst which rise up naked stalks furrowed, chamfered, or crested with certain sharp edges: at the top whereof groweth a great and large tuft of such leaves as those are that grow next the ground making one entire tuft or umbel, in shape resembling the Rose (wherof I thought good to give it his surname Rose) which is from his flower.

            This also I think differs not from that of Clusius; wherefore I give his figure in the place of that set forth by our author.

The Place.

            Ribwort groweth almost everywhere in the borders of path-ways and fertile fields.

            Rose Ribwort is not very common in any place, notwithstanding it groweth in my garden, and wild also in the North parts of England; and in a field near London by a village called Hoxton, found by a learned merchant of London Mr. James Cole, a lover of plants, and very skilful in the knowledge of them.

The Time.

            They flower and flourish when the other Plantains do.

The Names.

            Ribwort is called in Latin, Plantago minor, Quinquenervia, and Lanceola, or Lanceolata: in High Dutch, Spitziger wegrich: in French, Lanceole: in Low Dutch, Hondts ribbe that is to say in Latin, Costa canina, or Dog's rib: in English, Ribwort, and Ribwort Plantain.

            The second I have thought meet to call Rose Ribwort in English, and Quinquenervia Rosea in Latin.

The Temperature.

            Ribwort is cold and dry in the second degree, as are the Plantains.

The Virtues.

            The virtues are referred to the kinds of Plantains.