The Kinds.

            There be two kinds of Dog's-banes: the one a climbing or clambering plant; the other an upright shrub.

The Description.

            1. Dog's-Bane riseth up like unto a small hedge bush, upright and straight, until it have attained to a certain height; then doth it clasp and climb with his tender branches as do the Bindweeds, taking hold upon props or poles, or whatsoever standeth next unto it: whereupon do grow fair broad leaves, sharp pointed like those of the Bay tree, of a deep green colour. The flowers come forth at the top of the stalks, consifting of five small white leaves: which being past, there succeed long cods, set upon a slender footstalk by couples, joining themselves together at the extreme point, and likewise at the stalk, making of two pieces knit together one entire cod; which cod is full of such downy matter and seed as that of Asclepias, but more in quantity by reason the cods are greater; which being dry and ripe, the silken cotton hangeth forth, and by little and little sheddeth, until the whole be fallen upon the ground. The whole plant yieldeth that yellow stinking milky juice that the other doth, and sometimes it is of a white colour, according to the climate where it groweth; for the more cold the country is, the whiter is the juice; and the more hot, the yellower. The root is long and single, with some threads anexed thereto.

            2. There is another Dog's-bane that hath long and slender stalks like those of the Vine, but of a brown reddish colour, wherewith it windeth itself about such things as stand near unto it, in manner of a Bindweed: whereupon are set leaves not unlike to those of the Ivy, but not so much cornered, of a dark green colour, and of a rank smell being bruised between the fingers, yielding forth a stinking yellow milky juice when it is so broken: amongst which come forth little white flowers, standing scatteringly upon little husks: after the flowers come long cods, very like unto Asclepias or Swallow-Wort, but greater, stuffed with the like soft downy silk; among which down is wrapped up flat black seed. The roots are many and thready, creeping all about within the ground, budding forth new shoots in sundry places, whereby it greatly increaseth.

The Place.

            They grow naturally in Syria, and also in Italy, as Matthiolus reporteth: my loving friend John Robin, herbarist in Paris did send plants of both the kinds for my garden, where they flower and flourish; but whether they grow in France, or that he procured them from some other region, as yet I have no certain knowledge.

The Times.

            They begin to bud forth their leaves in the beginning of May, and show their flowers in September.

The Names.

            Dog's-Bane is called by the learned of our age Periploca: it is evident that they are to be referred to the Apocynum of Dioscorides. The former of the two hath been likewise called Brassica canina, or Dog's-Cole: notwithstanding there is another Dog's-Cole, which is a kind of wild Mercury. We may call the first Creeping Dog's-bane; and the other, Upright or Syrian Dog's-Bane.

The Temperature.

            These plants are of the nature of that pestilent or poisonous herb Thora, which being eaten of dogs or any other living creature doth certainly kill them, except there be in readiness an antidote or preservative against poison, and given, which by probability is the herb described in the former chapter, called Vincetoxicum; even as Anthora is the antidote and remedy against the poison of Thora; and Herba Paris against Pardalianches.

The Virtues.

            A. Dog's-bane is a deadly and dangerous plant, especially to four-footed beasts; for as Dioscorides writeth, the leaves hereof being mixed with bread and given, killeth dogs, wolves, foxes, and leopards, the use of their legs and huckle-bones being presently taken from them, and death itself followeth incontinent, and therefore not to be used in medicine.