The Kinds

            1. The first is a very slender plant having a few small leaves like the least Chickweed, growing in little tufts, from the midst whereof riseth up a small stalk, three or four inches long; on whose top do grow very little white flowers; which being past, there come in place small flat pouches composed of three films; which being ripe, the two outsides fall away, leaving the middle part standing long time after which is like white satin, as is that of Bolbonac, which our women call White Satin, but much smaller: the taste is somewhat sharp.

            2. This kind of Paronychia, hath small thick and fat leaves, cut into three or more divisions, much resembling the leaves of Rue, but a great deal smaller. The stalks are like the former, & the leaves also; but the cases wherein the seed is contained, are like unto the seed vessels of Myosotis scorpioides or Mouse-Ear Scorpion Grass. The flowers are small and white.

            There is another sort of Whitlow Grass or Nailwort, that is likewise a low or base herb, having a small tough root, with some thready strings annexed thereto: from which rise up divers slender tough stalks, set with little narrow leaves confusedly like those of the smallest Chickweed whereof doubtless these be kinds. Alongst the stalks do grow very little white flowers, after which come the seeds in small buttons, of the bigness of a pin's head. Our author seems here to describe the Paronychia 2 of Tabernamontanus.

The Place.

            These small, base and low herbs grow upon brick and stone wals, upon old tiled houses which are grown to have much moss upon them and upon some shadowy, and dry muddy walls. It groweth plentifully upon the brick wall in Chancery Lane, belonging to the Earl of Southampton, in the suburbs of London, and sundry other places.

The Time.

            These flower many times in January and February, and when hot weather approcheth, they are no more to be seen all the year after.

The Names.

            The Græcians have called these plants Paronychia: which Cicero calleth Reduvia: There be many kinds of  plants, called by the said name of Paronychia, which hath caused many writers to doubt of the true kind: but you may very boldly take these plants for the same, until time hath revealed or raised up some new plant, approching nearer unto the truth: which I think will never be, so that we may call them in English, Nail-Wort, and Whitlow Grass.

The Temperatures and Virtues.

            A. As touching the quality hereof, we have nothing to set down: only it hath been taken to heal the disease of the nails called a whitlow, whereof it took his name.