(2.)
This Plant was brought to me by a neighbour, who (wandering in the Woods to find out his strayed Cattle,) lost himself {69} for two Dayes, being as he ghessed eight or ten Miles from the Sea-side. The Root was pretty thick and black, having a number of small black strings growing from it, the stalks of the Leaves about a handful long, the Leaves were round and as big as a Silver five Shilling piece, of a sap or dark green Colour, with a line or ribb as black as Jeat round the Circumference, from whence came black lines or ribs at equal distance, all of them meeting in a black spot in the Center.[230] If I had staid longer in the Country, I should have purposely made a Journey into those Parts where it was gathered, to discover if possible, the Stalk and Flower; but now I shall refer it to those that are younger, and better able to undergo the pains and trouble of finding it out; for I understood by the Natives, that it is not common, that is, every where to be found, no more then the embroydered Pirola, which also is a most elegant Plant, and which I did endeavour to bring over, but it perished at Sea.
For Wounds.
Clownes all heal, of New-England, is another Wound Herb not Inferiour to {70} ours, but rather beyond it: Some of our English practitioners take it for Vervene, and use it for the same, wherein they are grosly mistaken.
The Leaf is like a Nettle Leaf, but narrower and longer; the stalk about the bigness of a Nettle stalk, Champhered and hollow, and of a dusky red Colour; the Flowers are blew, small, and many, growing in spoky tufts at the top, and are not hooded, but having only four round Leaves, after which followeth an infinite of small longish light brown Seed; the Roots are knotty and matted together with an infinite number of small white strings; the whole Plant is commonly two Cubits high, bitter in taste, with a Rosenie favour.[231]
{71}
(3.)
This Plant is one of the first that springs up after White Hellibore, in the like wet and black grounds, commonly by Hellibore, with a sheath or Hood like Dragons, but the pestle is of another shape, that is, having a round Purple Ball on the top of it, beset (as it were) with Burs; the hood shoots forth immediately from the Root, before any Leaf appears, having a Green {72} sprig growing fast by it, like the smaller Horse Tayl, about the latter end of April the Hood and Sprig wither away, and there comes forth in the room a Bud, like the Bud of the Walnut Tree, but bigger; the top of it is of a pale Green Colour, covered with brown skins like an Onion, white underneath the Leaves, which spread in time out of the Bud, grow from the root with a stalk a Foot long, and are as big as the great Bur Dock Leaves, and of the colour; the Roots are many, and of the bigness of the steel of a Tobacco Pipe, and very white; the whole Plant sents as strong as a Fox; it continues till August.[232]