This small plant riseth seldome aboue a foote and a halfe high, hauing small, narrow, long and whitish greene leaues, notched or dented with three or foure notches on each side, from the middle to the point-wards; from among which rise vp the stalkes, branched from the bottome almost into diuers small branches, at the toppes whereof stand many small flowers, thick thrust together in an vmbell or tuft, making them seeme to be small, round, double flowers of many leaues, when as euery flower is single, and standeth a part by it selfe, of a faire white colour in some plants, without any spot, and in others with a purplish spot in the centre or middle, as if some of the middle leaues were purple; in others agane the whole flower is purplish all ouer, which make a pretty shew in a garden: the seede is contained in many small and flat seed vessels, which stand together in an vmbell, as the flowers did, in which are contained somewhat reddish seede, like vnto some other sorts of Thlaspi, called Treakle Mustards: the roote is small and hard, and perisheth euery yeare hauing giuen seede.
Thlaspi Marinum Bæticum.
We haue another sort, whose leaues before it sendeth forth any stalke, are a little toothed, or finely dented about the edges, and brancheth not so much out, but carryeth an vmbell of purplish flowers like vnto the former, and paler yellow seede.
The Place.
These doe grow in Spaine and Candie, not farre from the Sea side.
The Time.
These Thlaspi giue not their flowers vntill the end of Iune, or beginning of Iuly, and the seed is ripe soone after.
The Names.
The first is named by some, Draba, or Arabis, as Dodonæus, but Draba is another plant differing much from this. Wee call one sort, Thlaspi Creticum, and the other Thlaspi Bæticum marinum, because the one came from Spaine, and the other from Candy; we giue it in English, the name of Tufts, because it doth fit the forme of the flowers best, although ordinarily all the Thlaspi are Englished Wilde Mustardes.