The Description.

1. The common Heath is a low plant, but yet woody and shrubby, scarce a cubit high: it bringeth forth many branches, whereupon do grow sundry little leaves somewhat hard and rough, very like to those of Tamarisk, or the Cypress tree: the flowers are orderly placed alongst the branches, small, soft, and of a light red colour tending to purple: the root is also woody, and creepeth under the upper crust of the earth: and this is the Heath which the ancients took to be the right and true Heath.

There is another Heath which differeth not from the precedent, saving that this plant bringeth forth flowers as white as snow, wherein consisteth the difference: wherefore we may call it Erica pumila alba, Dwarf Heath with white flowers.

2. The great Heath, (which Carolus Clusius at his being in England found in the barren grounds about Windsor, which in his Spanish travels he maketh the first kind): groweth to the height of two cubits, seldom higher, full of branches, covered with a blackish bark: whereon are set in very good order by couples, small, rough, square leaves finer than those of Tamarisk or Cypress. The flowers enclose the little twiggy branches round about at certain distances from the lower part to the top fashioned like little bottles, consisting of four parts, of a shining purple colour, very beautiful to behold, and the rather to be esteemed because it flowereth twice in the year: the root is likewise woody.

3. This, saith Clusius, which is the largest that I have seen, sometimes exceeds the height of a man, very shrubby, having a hard and blackish red wood: the leaves are small and short, growing about the branches by fours, of a very astringent taste: it hath plentiful store of flowers growing all alongst the branches, so that sometimes the larger branches have flowers for a foot in length: this flower is hollow and longish, well smelling, white and beautiful. It grows between Lisbon and the University of Coimbra in Portugal where it flowers in November, December, and January.

4. Of this kind there is another sort with whitish purple flowers, more frequently found than the other sort, which flowers are somewhat greater than the former, but in form like, and flowering at the same time. The leaves also are hairy, and grow commonly by fours: the hollow flowers grow clustering together at the very tops of the branches, and are to be found in July and August; it grows on divers heathy places of this kingdom.

5. Crossed Heath groweth to the height of a cubit and a half, full of branches, commonly lying along upon the ground, of a swart dark colour: whereon do grow small leaves, set at certain spaces by two upon one side, and two on the other, opposite, one answering another, even as do the leaves of Crosswort. The flowers in like manner stand alongst the branches cross fashion, of a dark overworn greenish colour. The root is likewise woody, as is all the rest of the plant.

6. This Steeple Heath hath likewise many woody branches, garnished with small leaves which easily fall off from the dried stalks; among which come forth divers little mossy greenish flowers of small moment. The whole bush for the most part groweth round together like a little cock of hay, broad at the lower part, and sharp above like a pyramid or steeple, whereof it took his name.

7. This Small- or Thin-Leaved Heath is also a low and base shrub, having many small and slender shoots coming from the root, of a reddish brown colour; whereupon do grow very many leaves, not unlike to them of common Thyme, but much smaller and tenderer: the flowers grow in tufts at certain spaces, of a purple colour. The root is long and of a woody substance. The branches of this are commonly whitish, the leaves very green: the flowers are smallest at both ends and biggest in the midst, hollow, and of a fair purple colour, which doth not easily decay: it flowers most part of Summer, and grows in many heathy grounds.

8. Chalice Heath hath also many woody branches growing from the roots, slender, of a reddish brown colour, a foot and a half high, garnished with very little leaves, lesser than those of Thyme: the flowers grow on the tops and upper parts of the branches, and be in number, five, six or more, hanging downwards, in fashion long, hollow within like a little tunnel or open cup or chalice, of a light purplish colour: the root creepeth and putteth forth in divers places new springs or shoots.

9. The Heath that bringeth forth berries hath many weak and slender branches of a reddish colour, which trailing upon the ground do take hold thereof in sundry places, whereby it mightily increaseth: the leaves are somewhat broad, of a thick and fleshy substance, in taste something drying at the first, but afterwards somewhat sharp and biting the tongue: among which come forth small flowers of an herby colour: which being faded there succeed small round berries, that at the first are green, and afterward black, being as big as those of Juniper wherein is contained purple juice like that of the Mulberry: within those berries are contained also small three-cornered grains: the root is hard, and of a woody substance. I found this growing in great plenty in Yorkshire on the tops of the hills by Guisborough, between it and RosemaryToping (a round hill so called) and some of the people thereabouts told me they called the fruit crake berries. This is the same that Matthiolus calls Erica baccifera: and it is the Erica coris folio 11 Of Clusius.

10. This which our author figured as you see in the tenth place (putting the description of the former thereto) hath brittle branches growing some cubit high, covered with a bark blacker than the rest: the leaves are like those of the former, but blacker and smaller, growing about the stalks by threes, of a hottish taste with some astriction. In September and October it carries a fruit on the tops of the branches different from the rest, for it is very beautiful, white, transparent, resembling dusky and uneven pearls in form and colour, succulent also, and of an acid taste, commonly containing three little seeds in each berry: in November this fruit becomes dry, and falls away of itself. Clusius only observed this in Portugal, and at the first sight afar off took the white berries to have been grains of manna. He calls it Erica coris folio 10.

11. I remember (saith Dodonæus) that I observed another Heath which grew low; yet sent forth many woody and twiggy branches, having upon them little narrow and longish leaves; on these stalks spike fashion to the tops of them, yet but on one side, grow elegant red flowers, pointed with black. This grows in that tract of Germany which leads from Bohemia to Nuremberg on dry and untilled places, and near woods. It flowers in April.

12. This shrubby Heath is commonly some cubit high, having slender branches which come out of the main stems commonly three together; and the leaves also grow in the same order; the tops of the branches are adorned with many flowers of a dark purple colour, hollow, round, bigger below, and standing upon long footstalks. Clusius found this growing in the untilled places of Portugal above Lisbon, where it flowered in December; he calls it Erica coris folio 5. Besides all these (saith Lobel, having first treated of divers plants of this kind) there is a certain rarer species growing like the rest after the manner of a shrub in pots, in the garden of Mr. John Brancion: the leaf is long, and the purple flowers, which as far as I remember consisted of four little leaves apiece, grow on the tops of the branches. I know not whence it was brought, and therefore for the rarity I call it Erica peregrina, that is, Strange, or Foreign Heath.

14. This hath many round blackish purple branches some foot or cubit high, lying oft-times along upon the ground: these are beset with many narrow little leaves, almost like those of the third described, yet somewhat longer, commonly growing four, yet sometimes five together, of an astringent taste; the little flowers grow on the top of the branches, longish, hollow, and of a light purple colour, coming out of four little leaves almost of the same colour; when these are ripe and dried they contain a blackish and small seed; the root is hard, woody, and runs divers ways; the weak branches also that lie upon the ground now and then take root again. Clusius found this growing plentifully in divers mountainous places of Germany where it flowered in June and July.

15. The weak stalks of this are some foot high, which are set with many small green leaves growing commonly together by threes; the tops of the branches are decked with little hollow and longish flowers divided at their ends into four parts, of a flesh colour, together with the four little leaves out of which they grow, having eight blackish little threads in them, with a purplish pointel in the middle. The seed is black and small; root woody as in other plants of this kind. Clusius found this in some mountainous woods of Austria, where it flowered in April and May.

The Place.

Heath groweth upon dry mountains which are hungry and barren, as upon Hampstead Heath near London, where all the sorts do grow, except that with the white flowers, and that which beareth berries. So saith our author, but there are not above three or four sorts that I could ever observe to grow there.

Heath with the white flowers groweth upon the downs near unto Gravesend.

Heath which beareth berries groweth in the North parts of England, namely, at a place called Crosby Ravenswaith, and in Crag Close also in the same country: from whence I have received the red berries by the gift of a learned gentleman called Mr James Thwaites.

The Time.

These kinds or sorts of Heath do for the most part flower all the summer, even until the last of September.

The Names.

Heath is called in Greek; Ereika: in Latin also Erica. divers do falsly name it Myrica: in high and low Dutch, Heijden: in Italian, Erica: in Spanish, Breso Quirro: in French, Bruyre: in English, Heath, Heather, and Ling.

The Temperature.

Heath hath, as Galen saith, a digesting faculty, consuming by vapors: the flowers and leaves are to be used.

The Virtues.

A. The tender tops and flowers, saith Dioscorides, are good to be laid upon the bitings and stinging of any venomous beast: of these flowers the bees do gather bad honey.

B. The bark and leaves of Heath may be used for and in the same causes that Tamarisk is used.