The Description.

1. These plants by right should have followed the history of Thymelæa, for in shape and faculty they are not much unlike it. The first is a low shrub, sending from one root many branches of some cubit long, and these bending, flexible, and covered with an outer blackish bark, which comprehends another within, tough, and which may be divided into fine threads: the leaves are like those of Chamælea, yet lesser, shorter and thicker, a little rough also, and growing about the branches in a certain order: if you chew them they are gummy, bitter at the first, and afterwards hot and biting: the flowers grow amongst the leaves, longish, yellowish, and divided at the end into four little leaves: the fruit is said to be like that of Thymelæa, but of a blackish colour, the root is thick and woody. It grows frequently in the kingdom of Grenada and Valencia in Spain, it flowers in March and April. The herbarists there name it Sanamunda, and the common people, Mierda-cruz, by reason of the purging faculty.

2. The other is a shrub some cubit high, having tough flexible branches covered with a dense and thick bark, which, the outward rind being taken away, over all the plant, but chiefly next the root, may be drawn into threads like Flax or Hemp: the upper branches are set with thick, short, fat, rough sharp pointed leaves, of somewhat a saltish taste at the first, afterwards of a hot & biting taste: the flowers are many, little and yellow: the root is thick and woody like as that of the former: this grows upon the sea coast of Spain, and on the mountains nigh Grenada, where they call it Sanamunda, and the common people about Gibraltar call it Burhalaga, and they only use it to heat their ovens with. It flowers in February. Anguillara called this, Empetron: Cæsalpinus, Cneoron, and in the Historia Lugdunensis it is the Cneoron nigrum myconi: Sesamoides minus: Dalechampii, and Phacoides, Oribasii quibusdam.

3. This is bigger than either of the two former, having whiter and more flexible branches, whose bark is unmeasurably tough and hard to break: the upper branches are many, and those very downy, and hanging down their heads, set thick with little leaves like Stonecrop, and of the like hot or burning faculty: the flowers are like those of the former; sometimes greenish, otherwhiles yellow: Clusius did not observe the fruit, but saith, it flowered at the same time with the former, and grew in all the sea coast from the Straits of Gibraltar, to the Pyrennean mountains. Alphonsus Pantius called this Cneoron: Lobel and Tabernamontanus call it Erica alexandrina.

4. This also may not unfitly be joined to the former, for it hath many tender flexible tough branches commonly leaning or lying along upon the ground, upon which without order grow leaves green, skinny, and like those of the true Thymelæa; at first of an ungrateful, and afterwards of a bitter taste, yet having none or very little acrimony (as far as may be perceived by their taste): the flowers grow upon the tops of the branches six, seven or more together, consisting of four little leaves of a reddish purple colour, very beautiful and well smelling, yet offending the head if they be long smelt unto: these are succeeded by small berries, of colour white, containing a round seed, covered with an ash-coloured skin. The root is long, of the thickness of one's little finger, sometimes blackish, yet most commonly yellowish, tough, and smallest at the top where the branches come forth. It flowers in April and May and ripens the fruit in June: it flowers sometimes thrice in the year, and ripens the fruit twice; for Clusius affirms that twice in one year he gathered ripe berries from one and the same plant. It grows plentifully upon the mountainous places of Austria about Vienna, whither the country women bring the flowers to the market in great plenty to sell them to deck up houses: it grows also in the dry meadows by Frankfort on the Main, where there is observed a variety with white flowers. Matthiolus would have this to be the Cneoron album of Theophrstus: Cordus calls it Thymælia minor: it is the Cneoron alterum matthioli, and Oleander sylvestre avicennæ myconi, in the Hist. Lugd. The Germans call it Stein Roselin: and we may call it Rock Rose, or dwarf Oleander.

5. This plant by Bauhine is called Cneorum album folio oleo argenteo molli: and by Dalechampius, Cneorum album, which hath been the reason I have put it here, although Cæsalpinus, Imperatus, and Plateau, who sent it to Clusius, would have it to be and call it Dorycnium: It is a shrubby herb sending from one root many single stalks some half cubit or better high: the leaves which grow upon the stalks without order, are like those of the Olive, but somewhat narrower, and covered over with a soft downiness: at the top of the stalks grow many flowers clustering together, of the shape of those of the lesser Bindweed, but white of colour. This grows wild in some parts of Sicily, whence Cæsalpinus calls it Dorychnium ex Sicilia.

The Temperature and Virtues.

A. The three first are very hot, and two first have a strong purging faculty, for taken in the weight of a dram with the decotion of Cicers they mightily purge by stool, both phlegm, choler, and also waterish humours, and they are often used for this purpose by the country people in some parts of Spain. The faculties of the rest are not known, nor written of by any as yet.