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Of Tabaco, or Henbane of Peru

The Kindes.

THere be two sorts or kinds of Tabaco, one greater, the other lesser; the greater was brought into Europe out of the provinces of America, which we call the West Indies; the other from Trinidada, an Island neere unto the continent of the same Indies. Some have added a third sort, and others make the yellow Henbane a kind thereof.

The Description.

I TAbaco, or Henbane of Peru hath very great stalkes of the bignesse of a childes arme, growing in fertile and well dunged ground of seven or eight foot high, dividing it selfe into sundry branches of great length; whereon are placed in most comly order very faire long leaves, broad, smooth, and sharp pointed, soft, and of a light green colour, so fastned about the stalke, that they seeme to embrace and compasse it about. The floures grow at the top of the stalks, in shape like a bell-floure, somewhat long and cornered, hollow within, of a light carnation colour, tending to whitenesse toward the brims. The seed is contained in long sharpe pointed cods or seed-vessels like unto the seed of yellow Henbane, but somewhat smaller, and browner of colour. The root is great, thicke, and of a wooddy substance, with some threddy strings annexed thereunto. 2 Trinidada Tabaco hath a thicke tough and fibrous root, from which immediately rise up long broad leaves and smooth, of a greenish colour, lesse than those of Peru: among which rises up a stalk dividing it self at the ground into divers branches, wheron are set confusedly the like leaves but lesser. At the top of the stalks stand up long necked hollow floures of a pale purple tending to a blush colour: after which succeed the cods or seed-vessels, including many small seeds like unto the seed of Marjerom. The whole plant perisheth at the first approch of winter. The Place.