Diuers suppose the flowers of these plants doe helpe to stay the fluxe of bloud in man or woman, because that other things that are red or purple doe performe the same. But Galen disproueth that opinion very notably, in lib. 2. & 4. de simpl. medicament. facultatibus.
Chap. XCIII.
Helichrysum, siue Amaranthus luteus. Golden Flower-gentle, Goldilockes, or Gold-flower.
The propinquity of property (as I before said) hath caused the affinity in name, and so in neighbourhood in these plants, wherein there are some diuersity; and although they differ from them before in many notable points, yet they all agree with themselues in the golden, or siluer heads or tufts they beare; and therefore I haue comprised them in one Chapter, and will begin with that which commeth nearest vnto the Helichrysum of Dioscorides, or Aurelia (as Gaza translateth it) of Theophrastus.
| 1 | Amaranthus purpureus maior. The great purple Flower gentle. |
| 2 | Amaranthus purpureus minor. The lesser purple Flower gentle. |
| 3 | Amaranthus tricolor. Variable Flower gentle. |
| 4 | Amaranthus Coccineus. Scarlet Flower gentle. |
| 5 | Amaranthus carnea spica. Carnation Flower gentle. |
| 6 | Chrysocome. Golden Cassidonie. |
| 7 | Heliochrysum Creticum. Candy Goldilockes. |
| 8 | Gnaphalium Americanum. Liuelong or Life euerlasting. |
| 9 | Gnaphalium montanum. Cats foote. |
| 10 | Gnaphalium roseum. The Cotton Rose. |
1. Helichrysum. The Golden flower of life.
This first Golden tuft riseth vp with many hard, round, white stalkes, a foote and a halfe high, whereon at certaine distances stand many fine cut leaues, or rather one leafe cut into many small fine parts, almost as small as Fenell, but grayish, like vnto the Cud-weedes or Cotton-weedes (whereof certainly these are speciall kindes) at the toppes of the stalkes stand many round flowers, of a pale gold colour, in an vmbell close together, yet euery flower vpon his owne stalke, and all of an euen height, which will keepe the colour, being gathered, and kept dry for a long time after, and are of a hot and quicke sent: the roote is small and wooddy, spreading vnder the vpper crust of the earth, and liueth long in his owne naturall place, but very hardly endureth the cold of our Winters, vnlesse they be milde, or it be well defended.
2. Helichrysum Creticum. Candy Goldilockes.
Candy Goldilockes hath two or three small slender white branches, set here and there very scatteringly, with small, long, and narrow hoary leaues, hauing yellow heads of flowers at the tops made into vmbels or tufts, not so round and euen as the former, but longwise one aboue another, the heads being made as it were of scales, loosly, and not so closely set together, as in the next following, which when they are full ripe, doe passe into doune, and are blowne away with the winde, hauing a small reddish seede at the end; but will abide a long time, as the other in his beauty, being gathered in time, as the rest will doe.