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Of Fox-Gloves

The Description. 1 FOx-glove with the purple floure is most common; the leaves whereof are long, nicked in the edges, of a light greene, in manner like those of Mullein, but lesser, and not so downy: the stalke is straight, from the middle whereof to the top stand the floures, set in a course one by another upon one side of the stalke, hanging downwards with the bottome upward, in forme long, like almost to finger stalkes, whereof it tooke his name Digitalis, of a red purple colour, with certaine white spots dasht within the floure; after which come up round heads, in which lies the seed somewhat browne, and as small as that of Time. The roots are many slender strings. 2 The Fox-Glove with white floures differs not from the precedent but in the colour of the floures; for as the other were purple, these contrariwise are of a milke-white colour. 3 We have in our Gardens another sort hereof, which bringeth forth most pleasant yellow floures, and somewhat lesser than the common kinde, wherein they differ.

The Place.

Fox-glove groweth in barren sandy grounds, and under hedges almost every where.

The Time.

They floure and flourish in June and July.

The Names.

Fox-gloves some call in French, Gantes nostre dame.

The Temperature.

The Fox-gloves in that they are bitter, are hot and dry, with a certaine kinde of clensing qualitie joyned therewith; yet are they of no use, neither have they any place amongst medicines, according to the Antients.