Gerard's Herbal - Part 3
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| Fig. 1164. Yellow Bear's-Ear (1) |
Fig. 1165. Purple Bear's-Ear (2) |
The Kinds.
There are divers varieties of these flowers, and the chief differences are, either from the leaves or flowers; from their leaves, which are either smooth and green, or else grey and hoary, again they are smooth about the edges, or snipped more or less. The flowers some are fairer then other some, and their colours are so various, that it is hard to find words to express them, but they may be referred to whites, reds, yellows, and purples; for of all the varieties and mixtures of these they chiefly consist. The gardens of Mr. Tradescant and Mr. Tuggy are at this present furnished with very great varieties of these flowers.
The Description.
1. Auricula ursi was called of Matthiolus, Pena, and other herbarists, Sanicula alpina, by reason of his singular faculty in healing of wounds, both inward and outward. They do all call it Paralytica, because of his virtues in curing the palsies, cramps, and convulsions, and is numbered among the kinds of Cowslips, whereof no doubt they are kinds, as others are which do hereafter follow under the same title, although there be some difference in the colour of the flowers. This beautiful and brave plant hath thick, green, and fat leaves, somewhat finely snipped about the edges, not altogether unlike those of Cowslips, but smoother, greener, and nothing rough or crumpled: among which riseth up a slender round stem a handful high, bearing a tuft of flowers at the top, of a fair yellow colour, not much unlike to the flowers of Oxlips, but more open and consisting of one only leaf like Cotyledon: the root is very thready, and like unto the Oxlip.
2. The leaves of this kind which beareth the purple flowers are not so much snipped about the edges: these said purple flowers have also some yellowness in the middle, but the flowers are not so much laid open as the former, otherwise in all respects they are like.
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| Fig. 1166. Red bear's-Ear (3) |
Fig. 1167. Scarlet Bear's-Ear (4) |
3. Carolus Clusius setteth forth in the book of his Pannonic Travels two kinds more, which he hath found in his travel over the Alps and other mountains of Germany and Helvetia, being the third in number, according to my computation: it hath leaves like the former, but longer, smaller, and narrower toward the bottom, green above, and of a pale colour underneath. The flowers are in fashion like to the former, but of a most shining red colour within, and on the outside of the colour of a mulberry: the middle or eye of the flower is of a whitish pale colour: the root is like the former.
4. The fourth is a smaller plant than any of the foresaid, whose leaves are thick and fat, nothing at all snipped about the edges, green above, and greyish underneath. The flowers are like the former, shining about the edges, of an overworn colour toward the middle, and in the middle cometh a fork covered with an hairiness: the root is black and thready.
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| Fig. 1168. Blush-Coloured Bear's-Ear (5) |
Fig. 1169. Bright Red Bear's-Ear (6) |
5. The Blush-Coloured Bear's-Ear hath divers thick fat leaves spread upon the ground, of a whitish green colour, slightly or not at all indented in the edges: among which riseth up a naked stalk likewise hairy or whitish, on the top whereof stand very fair flowers, in shape like those of the common Cowslip, but of a whitish colour tending to purple, which we term blush-colour. The root is tough and thready, as are all the rest.
6. The Bright Red Bear's-Ear of Matthiolus' description seems to late herbarists to be rather a figure made by conceit or imagination, than by the sight of the plant itself; for doubtless we are persuaded that there is no such plant, but only a figure foisted for ostentation's sake, the description whereof we leave to a further consideration, because we have not seen any such plant, neither do we believe there is any such. So saith our author, but he is here without cause injurious to Matthiolus, for he figures and describes only the common first described Yellow Bear's-Ear: yet if he had said the flowers were of a light shining red, he had not erred; for I have seen these flowers of all the reds both bright and dark that one may imagine.
Fig. 1170. Stammel Bear's-Ear (7)
7. Pena setteth forth a kind of Bear's-Ear under the name of Sanicula alpina, having his uppermost leaves an inch long, somewhat jagged and hemmed at the ends, and broad before like a shovel; the lower leaves next the ground are somewhat shorter, but of the same form, among which riseth a small slender footstalk of an inch long, whereon doth stand a small flower, consisting of five little leaves of a bright red or stammel colour.
8. The Snow White Bear's-Ear differeth not from the last described but in the colour of the flower, for as the others are red, contrary these are very white, and the whole plant is lesser, wherein consisteth the difference. The root is long, tough, with some fibres thereto belonging. Neither of these two last described will be content to grow in gardens.
The Place.
They grow naturally upon the Alpish and Helvetian mountains: most of them do grow in our London gardens.
The Time.
These herbs do flower in April and May.
The Names.
Either the ancient writers knew not these plants, or else the names of them were not by them or their successors diligently committed unto posterity. Matthiolus and other later writers have given names according to the similitude, or of the shape that they bear unto other plants, according to the likeness of the qualities and operations: you may call it in English, Bear's-Ear: they that dwell about the Alps do call it Drastkrawt, and Schwindlekrawt, by reason of the effect thereof; for the root is amongst them in great request for the strengthening of the head, that when they are on the tops of places that are high, giddiness and the swimming of the brain may not affect them: it is there called the Rock-Rose, for that it groweth upon the rocks, and resembleth the brave colour of the Rose. Fabius Columna proves this to be the Alisma or Damasonium of Dioscorides and the ancients.
The Nature.
These herbs are dry and very astringent.
The Virtues.
A. It healeth all outward and inward wounds of the breast, and the enterocele also, if for some reasonable space of time it be put in drinks, or boiled by itself.
B. These plants are of the nature and temperature of Primula veris, and are reckoned amongst the Sanicles by reason of their virtue.
C. Those that hunt in the Alps and high mountains after goats and bucks, do as highly esteem hereof as of Doronicum, by reason of the singular effects that it hath, but (as I said before) one espeially, even in that it preventeth the loss of their best joints (I mean their necks) if they take the roots hereof before they ascend the rocks or other high places.
D. The root of Damasinium (according to Dioscorides ) taken in the weight of one or two drams, helpeth such as have devoured the Lepus marinus or Sea Hare, or have been bitten by a Toad, or taken too great a quantity of opium.
E. It is also profitably drunk, either by itself, or with the like quantity of Daucus seeds, against gripings in the belly, and the bloody flux.
F. Also it is good against convulsions and the affects of the womb.
G. The herb stays the fluxes of the belly, moves the courses, and applied in form of a poultice assuageth oedematous tumors.
