Home › Contents › Of Milkewort

Of Milkewort

The Description. 1 THere have been many plants neerely resembling Polygala, and yet not the same indeed, which doth verifie the Latine saying, Nullum simile est idem. This neere resemblance doth rather hinder those that have spent much time in the knowledge of Simples, than increase their knowledge: and this also hath been an occasion that many have imagined a sundrie Polygala unto themselves, and so of other plants. Of which number this whereof I speake is one, obtaining this name of the best writers and herbarists of our time, describing it thus: It hath many thicke spreading branches creeping on the ground, bearing leaves like those of Herniaria, standing in rowes like the sea Milkwort; among which grow smal whorles or crownets of white floures, the root being exceeding small and threddy. 2 The second kinde of Polygala is a small herbe with pliant slender stemmes, of a wooddy substance, an handfull long, creeping by the ground: the leaves be small and narrow like to Lintels, or little Hyssop. The floures grow at the top, of a blew colour, fashioned like a little bird, with wings, taile, and body easie to be discerned by them that do observe the same: which being past, there succeed small pouches like those of Bursa pastoris, but lesser. The root is small and wooddy. 3 This third kinde of Polygala or Milkwort, hath leaves and stalkes like the last before mentioned, and differeth from it only herein, that this kinde hath smaller branches, and the leaves are not so thicke thrust together, and the floures are like the other, but that they be of a red or purple colour. 4 The fourth kinde is like the last spoken of in every respect, but that it hath white floures, otherwise it is very like. 5 Purple Milkewort differeth from the others in the colour of the floures, it bringeth forth moe branches than the precedent, and the floures are of a purple colour, wherin especially consists the difference. 6 The sixt Milkwort is like unto the rest in each respect, saving that the floures are of an overworne ilfavored colour, which maketh it to differ from all the other of his kinde.

The Place.

These plants or Milke-worts grow commonly in every wood or fertil pasture wheresoever I have travelled.

The Time.

They floure from May to August.

The Names.

Milkwort is called by Dodonaeus, Flos Ambarvalis, because it doth especially floure in the Crosse or Gang weeke, or Rogation weeke: of which floures the maidens which use in the countries to walke the Procession do make themselves garlands and Nosegaies: in English wee may call it Crosse-floure, or Procession floure, Gang-floure, Rogation-floure, and Milkwort, of their vertues in procuring milke in the brests of nurses. Hieronymus Tragus as also Dioscorides call it Polygalon. (Dagger)Gesner calls this Crucis flos; and in his Epistles he nameth it Amarella: it is vulgarly knowne in Cheapeside to the herbe women by the name of hedge Hyssop; for they take it for Gratiola or hedge Hyssop, and sell it to such as are ignorant for the same.(Dagger) The Vertues.

Galen, Dioscorides, and Theophrastus doe account these for Milkewoorts, and that they may without errour be used for those purposes whereunto Glaux serveth.