The Names.
This tree (as I said before) is called of Matthiolus Anagyris altera, siue secunda, of Cordus, Gesner and others, especially of most now adayes, Laburnum. It is probable in my opinion, that this should bee that Colutæa of Theophrastus, mentioned in the fourteenth Chapter of his third book with the leafe of a Willow; for if you take any one leafe by it selfe, it may well resemble a Willow leafe both for forme and colour, and beareth small seed in cods like vnto pulse as that doth. Of some it hath beene taken for a kinde of Cytisus, but not truely. We call it in English, Beane Trefoile, in regard of his cods and seede therein, somewhat like vnto Kidney Beanes, and of the leaues, three alwayes standing together, vntill a more proper name may bee giuen it.
The Vertues.
There is no vse hereof in Physicke with vs, nor in the naturall place of the growing, saue only to prouoke a vomit, which it will doe very strongly.
Chap. CXXI.
Cytisus. Tree Trefoile.
There are so many sorts of Cytisus or Tree trefoiles, that if I should relate them all, I should weary the Reader to ouerlooke them, whereof the most part pertaine rather to a generall worke then to this abstract. I shall not therefore trouble you with any superfluous, but only with two, which we haue noursed vp to furnish waste places in a garden.
Cytisus Maranthe. Horned Tree Trefoile.
This Tree Trefoile which is held of most Herbarists to bee the true Cytisus of Dioscorides, riseth vp to the height of a man at the most, with a body of the bignesse of a mans thumbe, couered with a whitish bark, breaking forth into many whitish branches spreading farre, beset in many places with small leaues, three alwayes set together vpon a small short footestalke, which are rounder, and whiter then the leaues of Beane Trefoile: at the ends of the branches for the most part, come forth the flowers three or foure together, of a fine gold colour, and of the fashion of Broome flowers, but not so large: after the flowers are past, there come in their places crooked flat thinne cods, of the fashion of a halfe moone, or crooked horne, whitish when they are ripe, wherein are contained blackish seede: the roote is hard and woody, spreading diuers wayes vnder the ground: the whole plant hath a pretty small hot sent.