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Of Wilde Water-Cresses or Cuckow-Floures
The Description. 1 THe first of the Cuckow flours hath leaves at his springing up somwhat round, & those that spring afterward grow jagged like the leaves of Greek Valerian; among which riseth up a stalk a foot long, set with the like leaves, but smaller and more jagged, resembling those of Rocket. The floures grow at the top in small bundles, white of colour, hollow in the middle, resembling the white sweet-John: after which come small chaffie huskes or seed-vessels, wherein the seed is contained. The root is small and threddy. 2 Milk-white Lady-smock hath stalks rising immediately from the root, dividing themselves into sundry small twiggy and hard branches, set with leaves like those of Serpillum. The floures grow at the top, made of foure leaves of a yellowish colour: the root is tough and wooddy, with some fibres anexed thereto. Dagger This is no other than the first described, differing only therefrom in that the floures are milke white, as our Author truly in the title of his figure made them. Yet forgetting himselfe in his description, he maketh them yellowish, contrary to himselfe and the truth. Dagger Dagger 3 I should be blame-worthy if in this place I omitted that prety conditioned Sium which is kept in divers of our London gardens, and was first brought hither by that great Treasurer of Natures rarities, Mr John Tradescant. This Plant hath leaves set many on a rib like as the other Sium described in the second place hath, but are cut in with two or three pretty deep gashes: The stalke is some cubit high, & divided into many branches, which have small white floures growing upon them: after these floures are past, there follow small long cods containing a smal white seed. Now the nature of this plant is such, that if you touch but the cods when the seed is ripe, though you doe it never so gently, yet will the seed fly al abroad with violence, as disdaining to be touched: whence they usually call it Noli me tangere; as they for the like quality name the Persicaria siliquosa. The nature of this plant is somewhat admirable, for if the seeds, as I said, be fully ripe, though you put but your hand neere them, as profering to touch them, though you doe not, yet will they fly out upon you, and if you expect no such thing, perhaps make you afraid, by reason of the suddennesse thereof. This herbe is written of only by Prosper Alpinus, under the title of Sium minimum; and it may be called in English, Impatient Lady-smock, or Cuckow floure. It is an annual, and yearely sowes it selfe by the falling seeds. Dagger The Place and Time.
Dagger 3 This grows naturally in some places of Italy: also I found it about Bath & other parts of this kingdome. Dagger These floure for the most part in Aprill and May, when the Cuckow begins to sing her pleasant notes without stammering.
The Names.
They are commonly called in Latine Flos Cuculi; and also some call them Nasturtium aquaticum minus, or lesser water-Cresse: of some, Cardamine: in English, Cuckow-flours: in Norfolk, Canturbury bels: at the Namptwich in Cheshire my native country, Lady-smockes; which hath caused me to name it after their fashion.