Chap. 159. Of Cranes-bill Garden.
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Page 263I. The Names. It is called in Greek, Ts&wv $
A in Latin Geranium-, iSPoGruinalis, Rofir urn Gruis, 01 Gruinum, Rostrum Ciconi<e, ( from the form of the Seed VelTels : ) in English, Storks-bill, and Cranes-bill.
II. The Kinds. There are many Kinds of this Plant, as, 1. TiPfjtcy Geranium Hortenje,
Garden Cranes-bill, of which in this Chapter,
2. Geranium Moschatum, Musked Cranes-bill, of which in Chap. 160. 3. Geranium Batrachoides, Crowfoot Cranes-bill, of which in Chap. 161. a. Geranium agrefie, Pield Cranes-bill, of which in Chap. 162. 5. Geranium Columbinum, Doves-foot, of which in Chap. . 6. Geranium Robertianum, Herb Robert, of which in Chap. . following.
III. The Garden Kinds, of which we treat in this Chapter, are manifold, viz. 1. Geranium Tuberosum, Tuberous or Knobbed Cranes-bill. 2. Geranium Anglicum Variegatum Befieri, Geranium Versicolor. five ft ri at urn, the Variable, or Stnp'd Cranes-bill. 3. Geranium fufcum five maculatum, Brown, or spotted Cranes-bill- 4_· Oeramum Ha-G g 2 mx aides
Page 264n.atoides, vel Sanguineum, Geranium Gruinale bjtma-t riles Lobe Hi j, Bloody Cranes-bill, or Red Rose Cranes-bill-
IV. The Descriptions. The first or Tuberous Cranes-bill has a Root Tuber ο its and round, like almost unto the Root of Cyclamen, or common Sowbread, but smaller, and of a dark russet color on the outside, but white within, which encreases under Ground by several ft rings running from the Mother Root, swelling out into small round Tubercles or Knobs, like unto the Roots of Ground Nuts, which will quickly shoot out Leaves, and in a short time bear Flowers but will not endure to be kept long out of the ground, without danger to be quite spoiled. From this Root spring forth three or four large Leaves spread upon the ground, of a greyish, or rather dusty green color, every one of them being as it were of a round form, but divided or cut into fix or seven long parts or divisions, even unto the middle, which makes it seem to be so many Leaves, each of the cuts or divisions being deeply notched or indented on both sides. Among these Leaves rises a Stalk a foot or more high, bearing thereon at
the Tops and Joints, several pale, but bright purple Flowers, made of five Leaves apiece; after which come small Heads, with long pointed Beaks, resembling the long Bill of a Stork or Crane, or some such like Bird; which after it is ripe, parts asunder at the bottom, where it is biggest, into four or five Seeds, every one of which has a piece of the Beak-head fafined unto it, and Jails away ij it be not gathered.
that the Leaves of this are not so large as the Leaves of that : From among these Leaves spring up several Stalks a foot or more high, jointed and knobbed here and there, bearing at the Tops two or three white Flowers, confiding of five Leaves a piece, so thickly, and variably driped with fine small reddish Veins, that no green Leaf, which is of that bigness, can shew so many Veins in it, nor so thick running, as every Leaf of the Flower of this beautiful Cranes-bill doth, in the middle of the Flower stands a small pointel, which when the Flower is past, does grow to be the Seed-Vessel, on which is set several small Seeds, like unto the small Seeds of the other Cranes-bills.
^ VI. The third, which is the Brown, or Spotted Cranes-bill, has a Root consisting of divers great Strings, joined to a Tuberous or Knobby Head ;from which head arises Leaves in all refpetfs like those of the last described, as well in the form and divisions, as in the color of the Leaves, being of a yellowish green, and having a blackish spot at the bottom of every division in every leaf, whence came the name, but larger and stronger by much. The Stalks of this rife much higher also, and are jointed or knobbed with reddish Knees or Joints, on the Tops whereof stand, not many, but large Flowers, consisting of five Leaves apiece, each whereof is round at the end, and a Utile snipt round about, and do bend or turn themselves back, towards the Stalk, making the middle of the Flower to be the highest, or most eminent part r The color of the Flowers is of a dark, or deep blackish purple, the bottom of every Leaf being whiter than the rest : it has also a middle Pointel growing forth, which afterwards turns into Seed>like unto the other kinds of Cranes-bill.
V. The second, or Striped Cranes-bill, has a Root made of many small yellow threads or firings-, from which rise up many broad yellowish green Leaves, divided into five or fix parts, but not unto the mid-^«/Wwr_5 each of these Leaves has a blackish Jpot at the bottom corners 0f the divisions 5 the whole Leaf, as well inform, as color and spots, is very like unto the Leaf of the Geranium Fufcum or Spotted Cranes-bill, next to be described _· but
VII. The fourth Kind, or Bloody Cranes-bill, has a Root which is hard, long, and thick, with several Branches spreading from it, of a reddish yellow color
Page 265on the outside and whitish within, which abides, and fences not, but shoot s forth some new green Leaves, which abide all the Winter, although those which turn red, do fall away. From this Root divers Leaves af° spring,which spread themselves upon the ground^ very much cut in or divided into many parts ; and each of them again fit %r cut into two or three pieces, growing upon slender long Footstalks, of a fair green color all the Spring, and Summer, but reddish in Autumn. From among these Leaves spring up several fender and weak Stalks, beset at every Joint ( which is something reddish ) with two Leaves for the most part, like unto the lower. The Flowers grow severally on the Tops of the Stalks, but not many together* in Bunches or Branches, as in all the other kinds of Cranes-bills _·, every Flower being as large as a Single Rose Campion Flower, consisting of five large Leaves, of a deeper red color than in any other Cranes-bill at the first opening h but changes more blewish afterwards : when the Flower is past, there does arise such like Beaks, or Heads of Seed, as are produced in the other kinds _·, but they seem to be smaller.
VIII. The Places. All these grow Wild in Foreign places, but are only nurs'd up with us in Gardens. Matthiolus lays, that the first grows very plentifully in Dalmatia and Ulyria : and Camerarius, Clusius, and others lay, that the rest grow in Germany, Bohemia, Austria, &c.
^ IX. The Times. All these Cranes-bills do Flower for the most part, in April, May, and June : but the Variable or Strifd Cranes-bill Flowers usually later than any of the rest.
X. The Qualities, Specification, Preparations, Virtues and VJes, of all the Cranes- bills, being one and the same, we shall forbear the declaring thereof inthis place, as also in ibme of the following Chapters till such time as we have fully described all such kinds as are to be found growing in our Countrey : and therefore I refer you to Chap. 162. where we shall ( God willing ) discourse the same at large, and to full satisfaction.
Edges _·, among which nje up weak ttnler Stalks scarce able to stand upright, about a foot, more or less high, with some such like Leaves growing upon them, as you find below, but j mailer the higher they grow on the Stalk, and the finer cut in on the edges on the Tops also among the upper Leaves sometimes, several very small Red or Crimson Flowers grow, after which very small and long Beaks or Bills come forth, with Seed at the bet torn, as all the rest of the Cranes-bills have, which twines it felj, as most of them do. The whole Plant, and every part thereof above ground, has a very fine and pleasing sort of smell, very much refe moling that of Musk, whence came the name.
Botanologia, or The English Herbal, was written by William Salmon, M.D., in 1710.
