Chap. 165. Of Cress Meadow, or Cuckow-Flower, single.
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Page 272I. The Names. It is called in Greek, k^j^ov Κ κιμÏνιον: in Latin, Flos Cuculi, Nasturtium Pratense, Sisymbrium alterum Diofcohdis, and Cardamine : and in English, Meadow Cress, or Cuckow-flower: in some Countries it is called, as Gerard says, Ladies Smocks.
II. The Kinds. They are either Single or Double : the Single we shall treat of in this Chapter, the Double in the next following. Of the Single, so many as grow with us in England, there are three Varieties, viz. j. Nasturtium pratense majus Tragi ο Grjncri, Cardamine latifolia, Nasturtium agreste euchju 6V Sylvestre Loniceri, Lepidium minus Cor-ώ, Flos Cuculi Dodonei Brunfelsii, The Great or Broad-leaved Cress, or Cuckow-flower. 2. Cardamine altera minor, Sisymbrium Cardamine Lacuna \Lft__iu™nJ1^ SisymbriumaquaticumalterumMat-thioliC Tabernmontani, Hiberis Fuchsii, Iberis Tha-lu, cardamine altera Lobclii iff Clusi, Agriocarda-mum, five Lardamantica Kafiurtii f0rus, Nasturtium pratense magna fiore Bauhini, Nasturtium aquaticum fimplici fiore Be fieri, The Small Cuckow-
flower. 3. Cardamine altera parvo fiore, The Small flowred Cuckow-flower.
III. The Descriptions. Tl)c first has a Root composed of many white Heads or Fibres, from which βοοί forth several long Stalks of winged Leaves, that ss, many together, somewhat broad and round, tender, and dark green Leaves set one against another upon a middle Rib, the greatest being at the ends among these winged Leaves rise up divers tender, weak, round, green Stalks, somewhat ftra-ked; on which grow much smaller and longer Leaves, very like the smallest divided leaves of Garden Cress, at the tops whereof stand several Flowers made of four Leaves apiece, somewhat large, and almost like to Stock-gilliflowers, but rounder, and not full out so long, whitish in Color, or a little dafht over with Blush, and many times but at the edges only, each of them growing in a green Husk, which being pafii away, small Pouches grow forth, containing reddish Seed, something sharp and biting in Taste, as is the Herb also it self, coming near to the Taste of Cresses.
IV. The Small Cuckow-flower with great Flowers, is in its Roots, Leaves, Stalks, Flowers, Form and Manner of Growing, like to the former but now described, excepting that it is smaller in every part, not bufhing out with so many Leaves or Stalks _·, and that the Pods of Seed are something longer than those of that aforegoing.
V. The Small Cuckow-flower with the small Rower, is almost in all Respects like to the Small Cuckow-flower beforegoing fave, that the Leaves of this are smaller and longer, and yet round sometimes also, growing in the same manner as the former does : the flowers are also like them, but smaller, and the Pods of Seed are somewhat longer.
VI. The Places. They are all found in several parts of England, in moist Meadows, and near unto Brook sides, and small Rills of Water, paiTing thro' low Grounds. They have been found in the Castle Ditch at Clare in Essex.
Page 273VII. The Time. They flower somewhat early in rhte Spring about April and /JW, at farthest, and continue with the lower Leaves all the Winter.
VIII. The Qualities, Specification, Preparations and Virtues are the same with Garden Cress in Chap. 163. aforegoing, to which you are referred.
Botanologia, or The English Herbal, was written by William Salmon, M.D., in 1710.
