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Of Sneesewoort

The Description. 1 THe small Sneese-woort hath many round and brittle branches, beset with long & narrow leaves, hackt about the edges like a saw; at the tops of the stalks do grow smal single floures like the wild field Daisie. The root is tender and full of strings, creeping far abroad in the earth, and in short time occupieth very much ground: the whole plant is sharp, biting the tongue and mouth like Pellitorie of Spaine, for which cause some have called it wild Pellitorie. The smel of this plant procureth sneesing, whereof it tooke the name Sternutamentoria, that is, the herbe which procureth sneesing, or Neesewoort. 2 Double floured Sneeswoort, or Ptarmica, is like unto the former in leaves, stalks, and roots, so that unlesse you behold the floure, you cannot discerne the one from the other, and it is exceeding white, and double like unto double Fetherfew. This plant is of great beautie, and if it be cut downe in the time of his flouring there will come within a moneth after a supplie or crop of floures fairer than the rest. 3 There is also another kind hereof, of exceeding great beauty, having long leaves somewhat narrow like those of Olive tree: the stalks are of a cubit high, on the top whereof grow very beautifull floures of the bignesse of a small single Marygold, consisting of fifteen or sixteen large leaves, of a bright shining red colour tending to purple; set about a ball of thrummy substance, such as is in the middle of the Daisie, in manner of a pale; which floures stand in scalie knops like those of Knapweed or Matfellon. The root is straight, and thrusteth deepe into the ground.

The Place.

The first kind of Sneesewort growes wild in dry and barren pastures in many places, and in the three great fields next adjoyning to a village neer London called Kentish towne, and in sundry fields in Kent about Southfleet. (dagger)The rest grow only in gardens.

The Vertues.

The juice mixed with vineger and holden in the mouth, easeth much the pain of the tooth-ach.

The herb chewed and held in the mouth, bringeth mightily from the braine slimie flegme like Pellitorie of Spain; and therefore from time to time it hath bin taken for a wild kinde thereof.