Gerard's Herbal - Part 3
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| Fig. 1084. Great Silver Knapweed (1) |
Fig. 1085. Little Silver Knapweed (2) |
The Description.
1. The great Silver Knapweed hath at his first coming up divers leaves spread upon the ground, of a deep green colour, cut and jagged as are the other Knapweeds, streaked here and there with some silver lines down the same, whereof it took his surname, Argentea: among which leaves riseth up a straight stalk, of the height of two or three cubits, somewhat rough and brittle, dividing itself toward the top into other twiggy branches: on the tops whereof do grow flowers set in scaly heads or knops like the other Matfellons, of a gallant purple colour, consisting of a number of threads or thrums thick thrust together: after which the seeds appear, slippery, smooth at one end, and bearded with black hairs at the other end, which maketh it to leap and skip away when a man doth but lightly touch it. The root is small, single, and perisheth when the seed is ripe. Thus our author, but this is not streaked with any lines, as our author imagined, nor called Argentea by any but himself, and that very unfitly.
2. The leaves of this are very much divided and hoary, the stalks some two cubits high, set also with much divided leaves, that end in soft harmless prickles: at the tops of the branches stand the heads composed as it were of silver scales (whence Lobel and others have called this plant Stbe argentea) and out of these silver heads come flowers like those of the Bluebottles, but of a light purple colour, the seed is small, blackish, and hairy at the tops.
3. There is another like this in each respect, but that the heads have not so white a shining silver colour: and this I have also seen growing with Master John Tradescant at South Lambeth.
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| Fig. 1086. Narrow-Leaved Knapweed (4) |
Fig. 1087. Thorny Knapweed (5) |
4. To these may be added that plant which Pona hath set forth by the name of Stbe capitata rosmarini folio. It hath a whitish woody root, from whence arise divers branches set with long narrow leaves somewhat like those of Rosemary, but liker those of the Pine, of a greenish colour above, and whitish below; at the tops of the branches grow such heads as in the first described Stbe, with flowers of somewhat a deeper purple colour: the seed is like that of Carthamus, but blackish. The root is not annual, but lasts many years.
5. Though these plants have of late been vulgarly set forth by the name of Stbes, yet are they not judged to be the true Stbe of Dioscorrides and the ancients, but rather another whose figure which we here give was by Dodonĉus taken forth of a manuscript in the Emperor's library, and he saith; Paludanus brought home some of the same out of Cyprus and Morea, as he returned from his journey out of Syria: the bottom leaves are said to be much divided; those on the stalks long, and only snipped about the edges, and white: the flowers white, and contained in scaly heads like the Bluebottles, and the tops of the branches end in sharp prickles.
The Place.
These do grow of themselves in fields near common highways, and in untilled places, but they are strangers in England, nevertheless I have them in my garden.
The Time.
They spring up in April, they flower in August, and the seed is ripe in September.
The Names.
Silver Knapweed is called of Lobel, Stbe salamantica: of Dodonĉus, Aphyllanthes, that is, without leaves, for the flowers consist only of a number of threads without any leaves at all: in English, Silver Knapweed, or Silver Scabious, whereof doubtless they be kinds.
The Temperature and virtues.
The faculties of these Matfellons are not as yet found out, neither are they used for meat or medicine.
The faculties of Stbe out of Dioscorides.
A. The seed and leaves are astringent, wherefore the decoction of them is cast up in dysenteries, and into purulent ears, and the leaves applied in manner of a poultice are good to hinder the blackness of the eyes occasioned by a blow, and stop the flowing of blood.
