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Of Serapia's Turbith, or Sea Star-Wort

The Description. 1 TRipolium hath long and large leaves somewhat hollow or furrowed, of a shining green colour declining to blewnesse, like the leaves of Woad: among which riseth up a stalke of two cubits high and more, which toward the top is divided into many small branches garnished with many floures like Camomill, yellow in the middle, set about or bordered with small blewish leaves like a pale, as in the floures of Camomill; which grow into a whitish rough downe that flieth away with the wind. The root is long and threddy. The Place.

These herbs grow plentifully alongst the English coasts in many places, as by the fort against Gravesend, in the Isle of Shepey in sundry places, in a marsh which is under the town wals of Harwich, in the marsh by Lee in Essex, in a marsh which is between the Isle of Shepey and Sandwich, especially where it ebbeth and floweth: being brought into gardens it flourisheth a long time, but there it waxeth huge, great, and ranke, and changeth the great roots into strings.

The Time.

These herbs do floure in May and June.

The Names.

It is reported by men of great fame and learning, That this plant was called Tripolium because it doth change the colour of his floures thrice in a day. This rumor we may beleeve as true, for that we see and perceive things of as great or greater wonder to proceed out of the earth. This herbe I planted in my garden, whither in his season I did repaire to finde out the truth hereof, but I could not espy any such variablenesse herein: yet thus much I may say, that as the heate of the sun doth change the colour of divers floures, so it fell out with this, which in the morning was very faire, but afterward of a pale or wan colour. Which proveth that to be but a fable which Dioscorides saith is reported by some, that in one day it changeth the colour of his floures thrice; that is to say, in the morning it is white, at noone purple, and in the evening crimson. But it is not untrue, that there may be found three colours of the floures in one day, by reason that the floures are not all perfected together, (as before I partly touched) but one after another by little and little. And there may easily be observed three colours in them, which is to be understood of them that are beginning to floure, that are perfectly floured, and those that are falling away. For they that are blowing and be not wide open and perfect are of a purplish colour, and those that are perfect and wide open of a whitish blew, and such as have fallen away have a white down: which changing hapneth unto sundry other plants. This herbe is called of Serapio, Turbith: women that dwell by the sea side call it in English, blew Daisies, or blew Camomill; & about Harwich it is called Hogs beans, for that the swine do greatly desire to feed thereon, as also for that the knobs about the roots doe somewhat resemble the garden bean.