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Show i412 Ofthe Hiftorie of Plants. $ 3 Myrtus exotica, Strange Myrtle. |B23. $ 4 Myrtus fructu albo, Myrtle with white berries, r \ \ ig V ip Wy, aN Hh Of the Hiftory of Plants. chiefeofall the reft (although moftcommonand beft knowne)and it growethlike little fhrub of hedge buth,very like vnto the former,but much {maller : the leaues are{mal and natrow,very much in fhape refembling the leaues of Mafticke Time called Marum,put of a frether greene colour: the floures bewhite, nothing differing ftom the former fauing in greatneffe, and that fometimes they amore double. I + 6 This growes nor very high,neitheris it fo fhrubby as the former: the btanches ate fmall andbrittle : the leaves are ofa middle bignefle, fharpe pointed, ftanding by couples in two rowes, feldome in foure as the former,theyareblackithalfoand welfmelling.the floure is like that of the seftithefruit is round,erowing vponlong ftalks out of the bofomies ofthe leaues,firft greene, then whitith , laftly blacke,ofawinyandpleafant tafte with fomeaftriGion. This growes wildeindiwrsplaces of Portugall, where C/ufins foundit flouring in OGiober:he calls it Myrtus Batica yl aufiis. ¢ gq The Place. Thefekindes of Myrtles grow naturally vpon the wooddy hills and fertill fields of Italy and Spain, + The two laft arenourifhed in the gardenof Miftreffe Tugcy in Weftminfter,and infome otlier gardens. £ | The Time. Whete they ioy to growofthemfelues they floure when the Rofes do:thefruit is ripe in Autumne: inEngland they neuer beare anyfruic. G] The Names. Itis called in Greeke wom: in Latine, Myrtus : in the Arabicke tongue, Alas : in Italian, Myrto : inSpanith, Arrayhan : in the Portingale language, Mwrta,and Murtella: other Nations doe almoft ixepe the Latine name,as in Englithit is called Myrtle,or Myrtle tree, Among the Myrtles that which haththefine little leafe is furnamed ofPliny,Tarentina ; 8 that which is {o thicke and full ofleaues ts Ewotica, ftrangeor forteine. Nigra Myrtus is that which hath theblacke berries : Candida, whichhaththe white berries,and the leaues ofthis alfo ate ofa lighter E 5 Myrtus minor, Thelittle Myrtle: 16 Myrtus Baticafylucfiri, Wilde Spanith Myrtle. Bene ¢ Sativa,or the tameplanted one is cherifhed in gardens and orchards : Sy/veffris, or the wild \yrtle is that which growethofit felfe ; the berries of this are oftentimes leffer, and of the other, grater. Pliny doth alfo fet downe other kindes; as Patritia,Plebéza,and Coniugalis : but what manner ofones they are he doth not declare : he alfo placeth among the Myrtles, 0xymyrfine,or Kneeholm, hich notwith fanding is none ofthe Mystles,butathornie fhrub. 2 Play inhis 14. book, 16.chap.faith,that the wine which is made of the wilde Myrtle treeis cal- ldayrtidanum, if the copiebe true. For Diofcorides and likewife Sotion inhis Geoponikes report, thatwine is made of Myrtle berries when they be thorow ripe, but this is called Vinum Myrteum,or Myrtites,Myrtlewine. Moreouer, there isalfo a winemadeof the berries and leaues of Myrtie ftamped and fteeped in Muft,or wine new preffed fromthe grape,whichis called, as Diofcorides faith, Myrfinite vinum, or witkof Myrtles. The Myrtle tree was in times paft confecrated to Venus Pliny in his 15. booke,29.chapter,faich this,There was an old Alter belonging to Venus whichthey now call Murtia, «| The Temperature andVertues. The Myrtle'confitteth of contrary fub ftances, a cold earthineffebearing the preheminence; it A Hathalfo a certaine fubtill heat, therefore,as Galen faith,it drieth notably. Theleaues,fruit,buds,and iuice do binde,both outwardly applied and inwardly taken: they fay. B the pitting of bloud,and all other iflues thereof: they ftop both the whites and-reds inwomen,if they fitina bath made thérewith: afterwhich manner and by fomenting alfo they -ftay the fuper- thous courfe of the hemorrhoides. . They area remedy for laskes,and for thebloudy flix, they quenchthefiery heat ofthe cies if C they belaid on with parched Barly meale. uit They bealfowith good fuccefle outwardly applied toall inflammations newly beginning, and D alfoto new paine vpon fomefall, ftroke or ftraine. ‘ : . they are wholfome foramoift and watery ftomacke:the fruit and Jeaues dried ptouoke vrine: E fOr the greene leaues containe in them aceartaine fuperfluous and hurtfull moifture. i ,.t8g00d with the decoétion herof made with wine, tobathe lims that are out of ioint,and bur- E fae thatare hard to be cured, and vicers alfo of the outward parts: ithelpethfpreading tetters, “aucth away the dandrafe and fores ofthe head,maketh the haires blacke, and keepeth them “« Ceeccesz from |
