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Of Couch-Grasse or Dogs-Grasse

The Description. (dagger)1 THe common or best known dogs grasse or Couch-grasse hath long leaves of a whitish greene colour: the stalke is a cubit and a halfe high, with joints or knees like wheaten strawes, but these joints are covered with a little short downe or woollinesse. The plume or tuft is like the reed, but smaller and more chaffie, and of a grayish colour: it creepeth in the ground hither and thither with long white roots, joynted at certaine distances, having a pleasant sweet tast: they are platted or wrapped one within another very intricately, insomuch as where it hapneth in gardens amongst pot-herbes, great labour must be taken before it can be destroyed, each piece being apt to grow, and every way to dilate it selfe.

The Place.

This grows in gardens and arable lands, as an infirmitie or plague of the fields, nothing pleasing to husbandmen; for after the field is plowed, they are constrained to gather the roots together with harrowes and rakes, and being so gathered and laid upon heaps, they set them on fire lest they should grow againe.

The Time.

These Grasses seldome come to shew their eare before July. The Nature.

Although that Couch-grasse be an unwelcome guest to fields and gardens, yet his physicke vertues do recompense those hurts.

The Vertues.

Couch-grasse healeth green wounds.