The Description.

            1. The great Hare's-Foot being a kind of Trefoil, hath a hard and woody root, full of black thready strings: from whence arise divers tough and feeble branches, whereupon do grow leaves, set together by threes, making the whole plant to resemble those of the Meadow Trefoil: the flowers grow at the top of the stalks, composed of a bunch of grey hairs: among the which soft matter cometh forth small flowers of a most bright purple colour, somewhat resembling the flowers of the common Meadow Trefoil, but far greater. Lobel calls this Lagopus maximus folio & facie trifolii pratensis: Dodonæus, Lagopus maior trifolii.

            2. This elegant plant (which Tragus hath set forth for Cytisus, Lobel by the name of Lagopus altera folio prinnato, and Clusius for his Trifolii maior 3 altera species) hath stalks some foot and better high, whereon grow leaves set together by threes, long, hoary and lightly snipped about the edges, with elegant nerves or veins, running from the middle rib to the sides of the leaves, which are most conspicuous in hot countries, and chiefly then when the leaf begins to decay. At the tops of the branches, in long and large heads grow the flowers, of an elegant sanguine colour. This flowers in May and June, and grows wild upon some mountains of Hungary and Austria; I have seen them, both this and the former, growing in the gardens of some of our florists.

            3. This other great kind of Hare's-Foot sends forth one slender, yet stiff stalk, whereon grow leaves whose footstalks are large at the setting on, encompassing the stalks: the leaves themselves grow by threes, long, narrow, and sharp pointed, of a greyish colour like those of the common Hare's-Foot; the spike at the top is soft and downy, with little reddish flowers amongst the whitish hairiness. This grows wild in Spain: Clusius calls it Lagopus angustifolius hispanicus maior.

            There is another sort of this described by Lobel and Pena in the Adversaria whose leaves are longer and narrower than this, the whole plant also is ofttimes lesser: they call it Lagopus altera angustifolio.

            4. The Small Hare's-Foot hath a round rough and hairy stalk, dividing itself into divers other branches; whereupon do grow small leaves, three joined together, like those of the small yellow Trefoil: the flowers grow at the very point of the stalks, consisting of a rough knap or bush of hairs or down like that of Alopecuros, or Foxtail, of whitish colour tending to a light blush, with little white flowers amongst the downiness: the root is small and hard.

The Place.

            The first groweth in the fields of France and Spain, and is a stranger in England; yet it growth in my garden.

            The Small Hare's-Foot groweth among corn; especially among Barley, and likewise in barren pastures almost everywhere.

The Time.

            They flower and flourish in June, July, and August.

The Names.

            The great Hare's-Foot Trefoil is called of Tragus, Cytisus: of Cordus, Trifolium magnum: of Lobel, Lagopum maximum, and Lagopodium: in English, the Great Hare's-foot.

            The last, being the smallest of these kinds of Trefoils, is called Lagopus, and Pes leporis: in Dutch, Hasen pootkens: in High Dutch, Hasen fusz: in French, Pied de lievre: in English Hare's-Foot.

The Temperature and Virtues.

            A. The temperature and faculties are referred unto the other Trefoils, whereof these are kinds: notwithstanding Dioscorides saith, that the Small Hare's-Foot doth bind and dry. It stoppeth, saith he, the lask, if it be drunk with red wine. But it must be given to such as are feverish with water.