Lambes Lettice or Corne Sallet is a small plant while it is young, growing close vpon the ground, with many whitish greene, long and narrow, round pointed leaues, all the winter, and in the beginning of the spring (if it bee sowen in autumne, as it is vsuall to serue for an early sallet) riseth vp with small round stalkes, with two leaues at euery ioynt, branching forth at the toppe, and bearing tufts of small bleake blew flowers, which turne into small round whitish seede: the roote is small and long, with some small threds hanging thereat: the whole plant is of a waterish taste, almost insipide.
The Vse of Lettice.
All sorts of Lettice are spent in sallets, with oyle and vinegar, or as euery one please, for the most part, while they are fresh and greene, or whited, as is declared of some of the sorts before, to cause them to eate the more delicate and tender. They are also boyled, to serue for many sorts of dishes of meate, as the Cookes know best.
They all coole a hot and fainting stomacke.
The iuice of Lettice applyed with oyle of Roses to the foreheads of the sicke and weake wanting sleepe, procureth rest, and taketh away paines in the head: bound likewise to the cods, it helpeth those that are troubled with the Colts euill. If a little camphire be added, it restraineth immoderate lust: but it is hurtfull to such as are troubled with the shortnesse of breath.
Lambes Lettice is wholly spent for sallets, in the beginning of the yeare, as I said, before any almost of the other sorts of Lettice are to be had.
Chap. XXXI.
Portulaca. Purslane.
Purslane hath many thicke round shining red stalkes, full of iuice, lying vpon the ground for the most part; whereon are set diuers long, thicke, pale green leaues, sometimes alone by themselues, and sometimes many small ones together with them; among which grow small yellow flowers, which stand in little greene huskes, containing blacke seede: the roote is small, and perisheth euery yeare, and must be new sowen in Aprill, in the alleyes of the Garden betweene the beds, as some haue heretofore vsed, where it may haue the more moisture, or, as I haue seene in some Gardens, vpon those beds of dung that Gardiners haue vsed to nourse vp their Cowcumbers, Melons, and Pompions, whereon after they haue been taken away, they haue sowen Purslane, where if it be much watered, the warmth of the dung, and the water giuen it, the Purslane hath grown great and large, and continued vntill winter.