1. Fraxinella flore rubente. Bastard Dittany with a reddish flower.
This goodly plant riseth vp with diuers round, hard brownish stalkes, neare two foote high, the lower parts whereof are furnished with many winged leaues, somewhat like vnto Liquerice, or a small young Ashe tree, consisting of seuen, nine, or eleuen leaues set together, which are somewhat large and long, hard and rough in handling, of a darkish greene colour, and of an vnpleasant strong resinous sent: the vpper parts of the stalkes are furnished with many flowers, growing spike fashion, at certaine distances one aboue another, consisting of fiue long leaues a peece, whereof foure that stand on the two sides, are somewhat bending vpwards, and the fift hanging downe, but turning vp the end of the leafe a little againe, of a faint or pale red colour, striped through euery leafe with a deeper red colour, and hauing in the middle a tassell of fiue or six long purplish threds, that bowe downe with the lower leafe, and turne vp also the ends againe, with a little freese or thrume at the ends of euery one: after the flowers are past, arise hard, stiffe, rough, clammy huskes, horned or pointed at the end, foure or fiue standing together, somewhat like the seede vessels of the Wolfes-banes, or Colombines, but greater, thicker and harder, wherein is contained round shining blacke seede, greater then any Colombine seede by much, and smaller then Peony seede: the roote is white, large, and spreading many wayes vnder ground, if it stand long: the whole plant, as well roots as leaues and flowers, are of a strong sent, not so pleasing for the smell, as the flowers are beautifull to the sight.
2. Fraxinella flore rubro. Bastard Dittaine with a red flower.
This differeth not from the former eyther in roote, leafe or flower for the forme but that the stalkes and leaues are of a darker greene colour, and that the flowers are of a deeper red colour, (and growing in a little longer spike), wherein the difference chiefly consisteth, which is sufficient to distinguish them.
3. Fraxinella flore albo. Bastard Dittanie with a white flower.
The white flowred Fraxinella hath his leaues and stalkes of a fresher greene colour then any of the former; and the flowers are of a pure white colour, in forme differing nothing at all from the other.
4. Fraxinella flore albo cæruleo. Bastard Dittanie with an ash coloured flower.
The colour of the flower of this Fraxinella onely putteth the difference betweene this, and the last recited with a white flower: for this beareth a very pale, or whitish blew flower, tending to an ash colour.
The Place.
All these kindes are found growing naturally, in many places both of Germany, and Italie: and that with the white flower, about Franckford, which being sent me, perished by the way by long and euill carriage.