Chap. LIX.
Pyrethrum officinarum.
Pelletory of Spaine.
I must needes adioyne vnto the Camomils this fine and tender plant, for some neare resemblance it hath with them in face, though not in quality. It is a small and lowe plant, bearing many fine greene leaues vpon his slender branches, which leane or lye down vpon the ground, diuided into many parts, yet somewhat larger and broader then Camomill, the stalkes whereof are bigger, and more iuicie then it: the flowers that stand at the toppes of the stalkes are single, but much larger then any Camomill flower, hauing a pale or border of many leaues, white on the vpperside, and reddish vnderneath, set about the yellow middle thrumme; but not standing so close together ioyning at the bottome, as the Camomill flowers doe, but more seuered one from another: it beareth small whitish seede, which is hardly found and discerned from the chaffe: the roote is long, and growing downe right, of the bignesse of a mans finger or thumbe in our Countrey, but not half so great where it groweth naturally, with some fibres and branches from the sides thereof, of a very hot, sharpe, and biting taste, drawing much water into the mouth, after it hath been chewed a while: the plant with vs is very tender, and will hardly or not at all endure the hardnesse and extremities of our Winters, vnlesse it be very carefully preserued.
The Place.
It groweth in Spaine wilde in many places, and in other hot Countries, where it may feele no frosts to cause it perish.
The Time.
It flowreth so late with vs, that it is not vntill August, that oftentimes we cannot gather ripe seedes from it, before it perish.
The Names.
The name Pyrethrum (taken from πὺρ, that is, ignis, fire) is giuen to this plant, because of the heate thereof, and that the roote is somewhat like in shew, but specially in property vnto the true Pyrethrum of Dioscorides, which is an vmbelliferous plant, whose rootes are greater, and more feruent a great deale, and haue a hayrie bush or toppe as Meum, and many other vmbelliferous plants haue. It is also called in Latin, Salinaris, of the effect in drawing much moisture into the mouth, to be spit out. We doe vsually call it Pelletory of Spaine.
The Vertues.
It is in a manner wholly spent to draw rheume from the teeth, by chewing it in the mouth, thereby to ease the tooth-ach, and likewise from the head, in the paines thereof.