Chap. XXXI.
Sanicula guttata maior.
Spotted Sanicle.
Hauing long debated with my selfe, where to place this & the other plants that follow in the two next Chapters, I haue thought it not amisse for this worke to set them downe here, both before the Beares eares, which are kindes of Sanicle, as the best Authors doe hold, and after the Cranes bils, both for some qualities somewhat resembling them, and for some affinity of the flowers with the former.
The spotted Sanicle hath many small round leaues, bluntly endented about the edges, somewhat like vnto the leaues of our white Saxifrage, of a full greene colour aboue, and whitish hairy, and somewhat reddish withall vnderneath: the stalkes are set here and there with the like leaues, rising a foote and a halfe high or more, very much diuided at the toppe into sundry small branches, bearing many very small white flowers, consisting of fiue small leaues, wherein are many small red spots to be seene, as small as pins points, of a pretty sweete sent, almost like Hawthorne flowers, in the middle whereof are many small threads compassing a head, which when it is ripe containeth small blacke seede: the roote is scaly, or couered with a chaffie matter, hauing many small white fibres vnderneath, whereby it is fastened in the ground.
There is another of this kinde, like both in roote, leafe, and flower to the former, the onely difference is, that this is lesser then the former, and hath no spots in the flower, as the other hath.
We haue also another smaller kinde then the last, both in leafe and flower, the leaues whereof are smaller, but rounder, and more finely snipt or indented about the edges, like the teeth of a fine sawe: the stalke is little aboue a span high, hauing many small white flowers spotted as the first, but with fewer spots.
The Place.
These growe in the shadowie Woods of the Alpes, in diuers places, and with vs they more delight in the shade then the sunne.
The Time.
All these Sanicles doe flower in May, and continue flowring vntill Iune, and the seede soone ripeneth after: the rootes abide all the Winter, with some leaues on them, springing a fresh in the beginning of the yeare.
The Names.
The former two are called by Clusius Sanicula montana, and by others Sanicula guttata: by Lobel Geum Alpinum. The third or last hath been sent vs vnder the name of Sanicula montana altera minor.
The Vertues.
The name imposed on these plants doe certainly assure vs of their vertues, from the first founders, that they are great healers, and from their taste, that they are great binders.