The Description.

            1. Periwinkle hath slender and long branches trailing upon the ground, taking hold here and there as it runneth; small like to rushes, with naked or bare spaces between joint and joint. The leaves are smooth, not unlike to the Bay leaf, but lesser. The flowers grow hard by the leaves, spreading wide open, composed of five small blue leaves.

            We have in our London gardens a kind hereof bearing white flowers, which maketh it to differ from the former.

            There is another with purple flowers, doubling itself somewhat in the middle, with smaller leaves, wherein is the difference.

            2. There is another sort, greater than any of the rest, which is called of some Clematis daphnoides, of the similitude the leaves have with those of the Bay. The leaves and flowers are like those of the precedent, but altogether greater; wherein consisteth the difference.

The Place.

            They grow in most of our London gardens; they love a moist and shadowy place: the branches remain always green.

The Time.

            The flowers of them do flourish in March, April and May, and oftentimes later.

The Names.

            Periwinkle is called in Greek Klematis daphnoeides: becausc it bringeth forth stalks, which creep like those of the Vine, and daphnoeides by reason that the leaves are like those of the Bay, as aforesaid. Pliny calleth it Vitis pervinca, and Chamædaphne: notwithstanding there is another Chamædaphne, of which in his place. The same author likewise calleth it Centunculus: in High Dutch, Ingrun: in Low Dutch, Vincoorte, Maegden Cruyt: in French, Pucellage, Vauche & Pervauche: in Italian, Provenca: in Spanish, Pervinqua: in shops, Clematis pervinca: in English, Pervinkle, and Periwinkle.

The Temperature.

            Periwinkle is something hot, but within the second degree, something dry and astringent.

The Virtues.

            A. The leaves boiled in wine and drunken, stop the lask and bloody flux.

            B. An handful of the leaves stamped, and the juice given to drink in red wine, stoppeth the lask and bloody flux, spitting of blood, which never faileth in anybody, either man or woman: it likewise stoppeth the inordinate course of the monthly sickness.