Chap. XXXIII.
Soldanella Alpina.
Mountaine Soldanella or blew Moonewort.
This beautifull plant hath many round and hard leaues, set vpon long foote-stalkes, a little vneuenly cut about the edges, greene on the vpperside, and of a grayish greene vnderneath, and sometime reddish like the leaues of Sowbread, which because they doe somewhat resemble the leaues of Soldanella marina, which is the Sea Bindweede, tooke the name thereof: the stalkes are slender, small, round, and reddish, about a span high, bearing foure or fiue flowers at the toppe, euery one hanging downe their heads, like vnto a Bell flower, consisting but of one leafe (as most of the Bindweeds doe) plated into fiue folds, each of them ending in a long point, which maketh the flower seem to haue fiue leaues, each whereof is deeply cut in on the edges, and hauing a round greene head in the middle, with a pricke or pointell at the end thereof: the flower is of a faire blew colour, sometimes deeper or paler, or white, as nature listeth without any smell at all: the middle head, after the flower is fallen, riseth to be a long round pod, bearing that pricke it had at the end thereof, wherein is contained small greenish seede: the roote hath many fibres shooting from a long round head or roote.
The Place.
This groweth on the Alpes, which are couered with snow the greatest part of the yeare, and will hardly abide transplanting.
The Time.
In the naturall places it flowreth not vntill the Summer moneths, Iune, Iuly, and August, after the snow is melted from the Hils, but being brought into Gardens, it flowreth in the beginning of Aprill or thereabouts.
The Names.
This plant, by reason of the likenesse of leaues with Soldanella, as was before said, is called by many Soldanella, but yet is no Bindweede; and therefore I rather call it in English a Mountaine Soldanella, then as Gerrard doth, Mountaine Bindweede. It is likewise called by some, Lunaria minor cærulea, The lesser blew Lunary or Moonwort, and so I would rather haue it called.
The Vertues.
They that imposed the name of Lunaria vpon this plant, seeme to referre it to the wound or consolidating herbes, but because I haue no further relation or experience, I can say no more thereof vntill tryall hath taught it. Some also from the name Soldanella, which is giuen it, because of the likenesse of the leaues, haue vsed it to help the Dropsie, for which the Sea plant is thought to be effectuall.