The Vse of Medlars.
Medlars are vsed in the same manner that Seruices are, that is, to be eaten when they are mellowed, and are for the same purposes to binde the body when there is a cause: yet they as well as the Seruices, are often eaten by them that haue no neede of binding, and but onely for the pleasant sweetnesse of them when they are made mellow, and sometimes come as a dish of ripe fruit at their fit season, to be serued with other sorts to the table.
Chap. X.
Lotus. The Lote or Nettle tree.
| 1 | Sorbus legitima. The true Seruice tree. |
| 2 | Sorbus vulgaris siue Terminalis. The ordinary Seruice tree. |
| 3 | Mespilus vulgaris. The common Medlar tree. |
| 4 | Mespilus Aronia. The Medlar of Naples. |
| 5 | Lotus arbor. The Nettle tree. |
| 6 | Lotus Virginiana. The Pishamin or Virginia Plumme. |
| 7 | Cornus mas. The Cornell Cherry tree. |
The first kinde of Lote tree, whereof Dioscorides maketh mention, is but of one kinde; but there are some other trees spoken of by Theophrastus, that may be referred thereunto, which may bee accounted as bastard kindes thereof, of which I meane to entreate in this Chapter, hauing giuen you before the description of another kinde hereof (by the opinion of good Authors) vnder the name of Laurocerasus.
The first or true Lote tree groweth to be a tree of a great height, whose bodie and elder branches are couered with a smooth darke greene barke, the leaues are somewhat rough in handling, of a darke greene colour, long pointed, and somewhat deepe dented about the edges, somewhat like vnto a Nettle leafe, and oftentimes growe yellow toward Autumne: the flowers stand here and there scattered vpon the branches, after which come round berries like vnto Cherries, hanging downewards vpon long footstalkes, greene at the first, and whitish afterwards; but when they are ripe they become reddish, and if they be suffered to hang too long on the branches, they grow blackish, of a pleasant austere taste, not to be misliked, wherein is a hard round stone.
The second, which is a bastard kinde, and called Guaiacum Patauinum, groweth to bee a faire tree, with a smooth darke greene barke, shooting out many faire great boughes, and also slender greene branches, beset with faire broad greene leaues, almost like vnto the leaues of the Cornell tree, but larger: the flowers growe along the branches close vnto them, without any or with a very short foote-stalke consisting of foure greene leaues, which are as the huske, containing within it a purplish flower, made of foure leaues somewhat reddish: the fruit standeth in the middle of the green huske, greene at the first, and very harsh, but red and round when it is ripe, and somewhat like a Plumme, with a small point or pricke at the head thereof, and of a reasonable pleasant taste or rellish, wherein are contained flat and thicke browne seeds or kernels, like vnto the kernels of Cassia Fistula, somewhat hard, and not so stonie, but that it may somewhat easily be cut with a knife.
The third is called in Virginia Pishamin, The Virginia Plumme (if it be not all one with the former Guaiacana, whereof I am more then halfe perswaded) hath growne with vs of the kernels that were sent out of Virginia, into great trees, whose wood is very hard and brittle, and somewhat white withall: the branches are many, and grow slender to the end, couered with a very thinne greenish bark, whereon doe grow many faire broad greene leaues, without dent or notch on the edges, and so like vnto the former Guaiacum, that I verily thinke it (as I before said) to bee the same. It hath not yet borne flower or fruit in our Countrey that I can vnderstand: but the fruit, as it was sent to vs, is in forme and bignesse like vnto a Date, couered with a blackish skinne, set in a huske of foure hard leaues, very firme like vnto a Date, and almost as sweete, with great flat and thicke kernels within them, very like vnto the former, but larger.