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Of Jerusalem Artichoke

ONe may wel by the English name of this plant perceive, that those that vulgarly give names to plants, have little either judgement or knowledge of them: for this plant hath no similitude in leafe, stalke, root, or manner of growing, with an Artichoke, but only a little likenesse of taste in the dressed root; neither came it from Jerusalem, or out of Asia, but out of America: whence Fabius Columna one of the first setters of it forth, fitly names it Aster Peruvianus tuberosus, and Flos Solis Farnesianus, because it so much resembles the Flos Solis, and for that he first observed it growing in the garden of Cardinal Farnesius, who had procured roots thereof from the West Indies. Also our countryman Mr Parkinson hath exactly delivered the historie of this by the name of Battatas de Canada, Englishing it Potatoes of Canada: now al these that have written and mentioned it bring it from America, but from far different places, as from Peru, Brasill, and Canada: but this is not much materiall, seeing it now growes so well and plentifully in so many places of England. I will therefore deliver you the historie as I have received it from my oft mentioned friend Mr Goodyer, who, as you may see by the date, tooke it presently upon the first arrivall into England. The Description.

THis wonderfull encreasing plant hath growing up from one root, one, somtimes two, three, or more round greene rough hairy straked stalks, commonly about twelve foot high, somtimes sixteene foot or higher, as big as a childes arme, full of white spongeous pith within. The leaves grow all alongst the stalkes out of order, of a light greene colour, rough, sharpe pointed, about 8 inches broad, and ten or eleven inches long, deeply notched or indented about the edges, very like the leaves of the common Flos solis Peruanus, but nothing crumpled, and not so broad: the stalks divide themselves into many long branches even from the roots to their very tops, bearing leaves smaller and smaller toward the tops, making the herbe appear like a little tree, narrower and slenderer toward the top, in fashion of a steeple or pyramide. The floures with us grow onely at the tops of the stalks and branches, like those of the said Flos solis, but no bigger than our common single Marigold, consisting of twelve or thirteen straked sharpe pointed bright yellow bordering leaves, growing forth of a scaly small hairy head, with a small yellow thrummy matter within. These floures by reason of their late flouring, which is commonly two or three weekes after Michaelmasse, never bring their seed to perfection; and it maketh shew of abundance of smal heads neere the tops of the stalkes and branches, forth of the bosoms of the leaves, which never open and floure with us, by reason they are destroyed with the frosts, which otherwise it seemeth would be a goodly spectacle.

The Place.

Where this plant groweth naturally I know not. In An. 1617 I received two small roots thereof from Mr Franqueuill of London, no bigger than hens egges; the one I planted, and the other I gave to a friend: myne brought me a pecke of roots, wherewith I stored Hampshire.

The Vertues.

These roots are dressed divers wayes, some boile them in water, and after stew them with sacke and butter, adding a little ginger. Others bake them in pies, putting Marrow, Dates, Ginger, Raisons of the sun, Sacke, &c. Others some other way as they are led by their skill in Cookerie. But in my judgement, which way soever they be drest and eaten, they are a meat more fit for swine, than men. 17 Octob. 1621. John Goodyer.(Dagger)