The Description.

            1. Glastum or Garden Woad hath long leaves of a bluish green colour. The stalk groweth two cubits high, set about with a great number of such leaves as come up first, but smaller, branching itself at the top into many little twigs, whereupon do grow many small yellow flowers: which being past, the seed cometh forth like little blackish tongues: the root is white and single.

            2. There is a wild kind of woad very like unto the former in stalks, leaves, and fashion, saving that the stalk is tenderer, smaller, and browner, and the leaves and little tongues narrower; otherwise there is no difference betwixt them.

The Place.

            The tame or garden Woad groweth in fertile fields, where it is sown: the wild kind grows where the tame kind hath been sown.

The Time.

            They flower from June to September.

The Names.

            Woad is called in Latin Isatis, and Glastum; Cæsar in his fifth book of the French wars saith, that all the Britons do colour themselves with Woad, which giveth a blue colour: the which thing also Pliny in his 22nd book, chap. 1, doth testify: "In France they call it Glastum which is like unto Plantain, wherewith the British wives and their daughters are coloured all over, and go naked in some kind of sacrifices." It is likewise called of divers Guadum: of the Italians, Guado; a word as it seemeth, wrung out of the word Glastum: in Spanish and French, Pastel: in Dutch, Weet: in English, Woad, and Wade.

The Nature.

            Garden Woad is dry without sharpness: the wild Woad drieth more, and is more sharp and biting.

The Virtues.

            A. The decoction of Woad drunken is good for such as have any stopping or hardness in the milt or spleen, and is also good for wounds or ulcers in bodies of a strong constitution, as of country people, and such as are accustomed to great labour and hard coarse fare.

            B. It serveth well to dye and colour cloth, profitable to some few; and hurtful to many.