There is likewise another sort of these male Mandrakes, which I first saw at Canterbury; with my very louing and kinde friende Iohn Tradescante, in the garden of the Lord Wotton, whose gardiner he was at that time; the leaues whereof were of a more grayish greene colour, and somewhat folded together, when as the former kind that grew hard by it, was of the same forme that is before described, and ordinary in all others: but whether the apples were differing from the other, I know not, nor did they remember that euer it had borne any.
Mandragoras fæmina. The female Mandrake.
The female Mandrake doth likewise put vp many leaues together, from the head of the roote, but they are nothing so large, and are of a darker greene colour, narrower also and shining, more crumpled, and of a stronger sent: the flowers are many, rising vp in the middle of the leaues, vpon slender stalkes, as in the male kind, but of a blewish purple colour, which turne into small round fruite or apples, and not long like a peare (as Clusius reporteth that saw them naturally growing in Spaine) greene at the first, and of a pale yellowish colour, when they are full ripe; of a more pleasing, or if you will, of a lesse heady sent then the apples of the male, wherein is contained such like seede, but smaller and blacker: the rootes are like the former, blacke without and white within, and diuided in the same manner as the male is, sometimes with more, and sometimes with fewer parts or branches.
The Place.
They grow in many places of Italie, as Matthiolus reporteth, but especially on Mount Garganus in Apulia. Clusius saith hee found the female in many wet grounds of Spaine, as also in the borders of those medowes that lye neere vnto riuers and water courses. The male is cherished in many Gardens, for pleasure as well as for vse; but the female as is said, is both very rare, and farre more tender.
The Time.
The Male flowreth in March, and the fruit is ripe in Iuly. The Female, if it be well preserued, flowreth not vntill August, or September; so that without extraordinary care, we neuer see the fruite thereof in our gardens.
The Names.
Mandragoras mas is called albus, as the Fæmina is called niger, which titles of blacke and white, are referred vnto the colour of the leaues: the female is called also Thridacias, from the likenesse of Lettice, whereunto they say in forme it doth carry some similitude. Dioscorides saith, that in his time the male was called Morion, and both of them Antimelum, and Circæa. Wee call them in English, The male, and the female Mandrake.