They flower in the end of Iune, and in Iuly, or thereabouts.
The Names.
They are called Melanthium, Gith, and Nigella, and of some Flos Diuæ Catherinæ. We may either call them Nigella according to the Latine name, or the Fenell flower, as some doe, because the double blew Nigella hath small Fenell-like leaues bearing vp the flower, as I shewed before in the description.
The Vertues.
These Nigella’s are nothing so hot in qualitie as the single Romane kind is, as may well be knowne by the smell of the seede thereof, and therefore are not fit to be vsed in the steed of it, as many ignorant persons vse to doe: for the single Romane seede is vsed to helpe paines, and cold distillations in the head, and to dry vp the rheume. Pena saith, that the pressed oyle of the seede as well taken inwardly as vsed outwardly is an excellent remedy for the hardnesse and swelling of the spleene.
Chap. LVI.
Ptarmica siluestris flore pleno. Double wilde Pelletory.
The double wilde Pelletorie hath straight and slender stalkes, beset with long and narrow leaues, snipt round about the edges, in all points like vnto the single wilde kinde, that groweth common with vs almost euery where: on the toppes of the stalkes stand foure or fiue, or more white flowers, one aboue another, with a greene leafe at the bottome of the footestalke of euery one of them, beeing small, thicke, and very double, with a little yellowishnesse in the middle of euery flower, like both for forme and colour vnto the flower of the double Featherfew, but smaller: the rootes are many long strings, running here and there in the ground: this hath no smell at all, but is delightsome only for the double white flowers.
The Place.
It is only cherished in some few Gardens, for it is very rare.