Gerard's Herbal - CHAP. 171. Of Sundry Sorts of Knot-Grasses.

1. The snowy white and least kind of Polygonum or Knot-Grass, called of Clusius, Paronychia Hispanica, is a strange and worthy plant to behold, handle, and consider, although it be but small. It is seldom above a foot long, having small branches, thick, tough, hard, and full of joints; out of which the leaves come forth like small teeth, lesser than the leaves of Herniaria, or Thymum tenuifolium. At the top of the stalks stand most delicate flowers framed by nature as it were, with fine parchment leaves about them, standing in their singular whiteness and snowy colour, resembling the perfect white silk, so many in number at the top, and so thick, that they overshadow the rest of the plant beneath. The root is slender, and of a woody substance. The seed is covered as it were with chaff, and is as small as dust, or the motes in the sun.

2. Anthyllis of Valencia, being likewise a kind of Knot-Grass, hath small leaves like Glaux exigua, or rather like Chamæsyce, set orderly by couples at the joints: among which come flowers consisting of four little whitish purple leaves, and other small leaves like the first but altogether lesser. The root is small, black, and long, and of a woody substance.

3. Of this I have received a better descripton from my oft mentioned friend Mr. Goodyer, which therefore I thought good to impart to you.

Polygonum alterum pusillo vermiculata serpilli foliolo Pena. This hath many small round smooth woody branches, somewhat reddish, trailing upon the ground, nine inches or a foot long; whereon by small distances on short joints grow tufts of very small short blunt topped smooth green leaves, in a manner round, like those of the smallest Thyme, but much smaller, and without smell, dividing themselves at the bosoms of those leaves into small branches at the tops of which branches grow small flowers, one flower on a branch, and no more, consisting of four little round-topped leaves apiece of a faint or pale purplish colour: I observed no seed. The root is woody, blackish without, very bitter, with some taste of heat, and groweth deep into the ground. The leaves are nothing so full of juice as Aizoon. I found it flowering the third day of September, 1641, on the ditch banks at Bursledon ferry by the seaside in Hampshire. Jo. Goodyer.

4. Among the Knot-Grasses may well be suited this small plant, but lately written of, and not so commonly known as growing in England, being about an handful high, and putting out from a fibrous root sundry slender stalks full of little branches and joints: about which grow confusedly many narrow leaves, for the most part of an unequal quantity, yet here and there two longer than the rest, and much alike in greatness: at the outmost parts of the branches and stalks (where it hath thickest tufts) appear out of the midst of the leaves little flowers of an herby colour, which are succeeded by seed-vessels ending in five sharp points: the whole plant is of a whitish colour. If my memory fail me not, Pena means this herb where he speaketh of Saxifraga anglicana in his Adversaria. p. 103, and also reporteth that he found this plant by the wayside as he rode from London to Bristol, on a little hill not far from Chippenham: his picture doth very well resemble the kind of Knot-Grass called among the Germans Knawel, and calling it Saxifraga anglicana causeth me to think, that some in the west parts where he found it do call it Saxifrage, as we do call sundry other herbs, especially if they serve for the stone. My friend Mr. Stephen Bredwell, practioner of physic in those parts, heard of a simple man who did much good with a medicine that he made with Parsley Piert against the stone, which he ministered unto all sorts of people. This my friend requested the poor man to show him the herb called Parsley Piert; who frankly promised it him, and the next morning brought him an handful of the herb, and told him the composition of his medicine withal, which you shall find set down in the virtues, and proved by sundry of good account to be a singular remedy for the same.


Fig. 849. Chickweed Saxifrage (5)	Fig. 850. Small Water Saxifrage (6)

5. This plant is a small little herb growing thick, with very many branches some two or three inches high, with some stalks standing upright, and other some creeping: at each joint grow two short narrow sharp pointed green leaves, out of whose bosoms come divers lesser leaves: at the tops of the branches upon pretty long stalks grow upon each stalk one round whitish scaly head, consisting commonly of four under greenish leaves which make the cup, and four greyish or whitish leaves which are the flower. Now after these come to some maturity they appear all of a whitish colour, and through the thin films of these heads appears the seed, which at the first view seems to be pretty large and black; for it lies all clustering together; but if you rub it out you shall find it as small as sand, and of a dark reddish colour. The taste of this plant is very hot and piercing, like that of Goldenrod or our common Saxifrage, and without doubt it is more effectual to move urine than the former Knawel. I have found it growing in many places about brick and stone walls, and upon chalky barren grounds.

6. Alsine palustre foliis tenuissimis: sive Saxifraga palustris alsinefolia. This hath a great number of very small grass-like leaves, growing from the root, about an inch long, a great deal smaller and slenderer than small pins; amongst which spring up many small slender round smooth firm branches some handful or handful and half high, from which sometimes grow a few other smaller branches, whereon at certain joints grow leaves like the former, and those set by couples with other shorter coming forth of their bosoms; and so by degrees they become shorter and shorter towards the top, so that toward the top this plant somwhat resembleth Thymum durius. The flowers are great for the slenderness of the plant, growing at the tops of the branches, each flower consisting of five small blunt roundish-topped white flowers, with white chives in the midst. The seed I observed not. The root is small, growing in the mire with a few strings. This groweth plentifully on the boggy ground below the red well of Wellingborough in Northamptonshire. This hath not been described that I find. I observed it at the place aforesaid, August 12, 1626. John Goodyer.

The Place.

The first and second are strangers in England: the rest grow in places mentioned in their descriptions.

The Time.

These flower for the most part from May to September.

The Names.

That which hath been said of their names in their several descriptions shall suffice.

The Nature.

They are cold in the second degree, and dry in the third, astringent and making thick (saith Gerard).

These, especially the three last, are hot in the second or third degree, and of subtle parts; but the Parsley Piert seemes not to be so hot as the other two.

The Virtues.

A. Here according to my promise I have thought good to insert this medicine made with Knawel, which herb is called (as I said before) Parley Piert, but if I might without offence it should be called Petra pungens: for that barbarous word Parsley Piert was given by some simple man (as also the other, that savours of as much simplicity) who had not well learned the true term. The composition which followeth must be given in warm white wine, half a dram, two scruples, or more, according to the constitution of the body which is to receive it.

The leaves of Parsley Piert, Mouse-Ear, of each one ounce when the herbs be dried; Bay berries, Turmeric, Cloves, the seeds of the great Bur, the seeds in the berries of Hips or Briar-Tree, Fenugreek, of each one ounce; the stone in the ox gall, the weight of 24 Barley corns, or half a dram; made together into a most fine and subtle powder, taken and drunk in manner aforesaid hath been proved most singular for the disease aforesaid.

B. The fifth and sixth are of the same faculty, and may be used in the like cases.

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