Chap. L.
Cinara. Artichokes.
The fruits that grow vpon or neere the ground, are next to be entreated of, and first of Artichokes, whereof there be diuers kindes, some accounted tame and of the Garden, others wilde and of late planted in Gardens, Orchards or Fieldes, of purpose to be meate for men.
The Artichoke hath diuers great, large, and long hollowed leaues, much cut in or torne on both edges, without any great shew of prickles on them, of a kinde of whitish greene, like vnto an ash colour, whereof it tooke the Latin name Cinara: the stalke is strong, thicke and round, with some skins as it were downe all the length of them, bearing at the toppe one scaly head, made at the first like a Pine-apple, but after growing greater, the scales are more separate, yet in the best kindes lying close, and not flaring, as some other kindes doe, which are eyther of a reddish browne, whitish, or greenish colour, and in some broade at the ends, in others sharpe or prickly: after the head hath stoode a great while, if it bee suffered, and the Summer proue hot and kindly, in some there will breake forth at the toppe thereof, a tuft of blewish purple thrumes or threds, vnder which grow the seede, wrapped in a great deale of dounie substance: but that roote that yeeldeth flowers will hardly abide the next winter; but else being cut off when it is well growne, that dounie matter abideth close in the middle of the head, hauing the bottome thereof flat and round, which is that matter or substance that is vsed to be eaten: the roote spreadeth it selfe in the ground reasonable well, yeelding diuers heads of leaues or suckers, whereby it is increased.
| 1 | Cinara satiua rubra. The red Artichoke. |
| 2 | Cinara satiua alba. The white Artichoke. |
| 3 | Cinara patula. The French Artichoke. |
| 4 | Cinara siluestris. The Thistle Artichoke. |
| 5 | Carduus esculentus. The Chardon. |
The white Artichoke is in all things like the red, but that the head is of a whitish ashe colour, like the leaues, whereas the former is reddish.
We haue also another, whose head is greene, and very sharpe vpwards, and is common in many places.
Wee haue had also another kinde in former times that grew as high as any man, and branched into diuers stalkes, euery one bearing a head thereon, almost as bigge as the first.
There is another kinde, called the Muske Artichoke, which groweth like the French kinde, but is much better in spending, although it haue a lesser bottome.