The Time.
They flower very late with vs, that is, not vntill the middle or end of August, and the cold euenings or frosts comming so soone vpon it, doth not onely hinder it from bearing, but many times the sharpe winters so pinch it, that it withereth it downe to the ground, so that oftentimes it hardly springeth againe.
The Names.
The name Malus Punica for the tree, and Malum Punicum for the fruit, or Malus Granata, and Malum Granatum, is the common name giuen vnto this tree, which is called in English the Pomegarnet or Pomegranet tree. The flowers of the tame kinde are called Cytini, as Dioscorides saith, although Plinie seemeth either to make Cytinus to be the flower of the wilde kinde, or Balaustium to be the flower of both tame and wilde kinde: but properly, as I take it, Cytinus is the cup wherein the flower as well of the tame as wilde kinde doth stand; for vnto the similitude of them, both the flowers of Asarum, and the seede vessels of Hyosciamus are compared and resembled, and not vnto the whole flower: the barke or rinde of the fruit is called of diuers Sidion, and in the Apothecaries shops Psidium, and cortex Granatorum. The wilde kinde is called Malus Punica siluestris: In English, The wilde Pomegranet tree; the flower thereof is properly called Balaustium. The lesser kind is vsually called Balaustium Romanum, as the greater is called Creticum and Cyprium, because they growe in Candy and Cyprus.
The Vertues.
The vse of all these Pomegranets is very much in Physicke, to coole and binde all fluxibility both of body and humours: they are also of singular effect in all vlcers of the mouth, and other parts of the body, both of man and woman. There is no part of them but is applyed for some of these respects. The rinde also of the Pomegranet is vsed of diuers in stead of Gaules, to make the best sort of writing Inke, which is durable to the worlds end.
Chap. CXV.
Amomum Plinij seu Pseudocapsicum. Tree Night shade or the Winter Cherry tree.
I haue adioyned this plant, for the pleasurable beauty of the greene leaues, and red berries. It groweth vp to be a yard or foure foote high at the most, hauing a small wooddy stemme or stocke, as bigge as ones finger or thumbe, couered with a whitish greene barke, set full of greene branches, and faire greene leaues, somewhat vneuen sometimes on the edges, narrower then any Night shade leaues, and very neare resembling the leaues of the Capsicum, or Ginny pepper, but smaller and narrower, falling away in the Winter, and shooting fresh in the Spring of the yeare: the flowers growe often two or three together, at the ioynts of the branches with the leaues, being white, opening starre-fashion, and sometimes turning themselues backe, with a yellow pointell in the middle, very like vnto the flowers of Night shade: after the flowers are past, come forth in their stead small greene buttons, which after turne to be pleasant round red berries, of the bignesse of small Cherries when they are ripe, which with vs vsually ripen not vntill the Winter, or about Christmas, wherein are contained many small whitish seede that are flat: all the whole plant, as well leaues and flowers as seede, are without either smell or taste: the roote hath many yellowish strings and fibres annexed vnto it.