I haue set this plant in this place, for some likenesse of the flower, rather then for any other comparison, euen as I must also with the next that followeth. This plant riseth vp with a thicke round reddish stalke, with great and bunched ioynts, being tender and full of iuice, much like to the stalke of Purslane, but much greater, which brancheth it selfe forth from the very ground, into many stalkes, bearing thereon manie long greene leaues, snipt about the edges, very like vnto the Almond or Peach tree leaues; among which from the middle of the stalkes vpwards round about them, come forth vpon seuerall small short foot-stalkes many faire purplish flowers, of two or three colours in them, fashioned somewhat like the former Larkes heeles, or Monks hoods, but that they are larger open at the mouth, and the spurres behinde crooke or bend downewards: after the flowers are past, there come in their places round rough heads, pointed at the end, greene at the first, and a little yellower when they bee ripe, containing within them small round blackish seede, which will soone skippe out of the heads, if they be but a little hardly pressed betweene the fingers: the rootes spread themselues vnder ground very much from the toppe, with a number of small fibres, annexed thereunto: this is a very tender plant, dying euery yeare, and must bee sowne carefully in a pot of earth, and tended and watered in the heate of Summer, and all little enough to bring it to perfection.
| 1 | Radix Caua maior flore albo. The white flowred Hollow roote. |
| 2 | Capnos fabacea radice. The small Hollow roote. |
| 3 | Delphinium flore simplici. Single Larkes spurs. |
| 4 | Delphinium vulgare flore medio duplici. Larkes spurs double in the middle. |
| 5 | Delphinium vulgare flore pleno. Common Larks spurs double. |
| 6 | Delphinium elatius flore pleno. Double vpright Larkes spurs. |
| 7 | Delphinium Hispanicum parvum. Small Spanish Larkes spurs. |
| 8 | Balsamina fœmina. The Female Balsam apple. |
| 9 | Nasturtium Indicum. Indian Cresses, or yellow Larkes spurs. |
Wee haue alwaies had the seede of this plant sent vs out of Italy, not knowing his originall place.
It flowreth from the middle of Iuly, to the end of August: the seed doth seldome ripen with vs, especially if the Summer be backward, so that wee are oftentimes to seeke for new and good seede from our friends againe.
Some vse to call it Charantia fœmina, Balsamina fœmina, Balsamella, and Anguillara, Herba Sanctæ Katharinæ. We haue no other English name to call it by, then the Female Balsame Apple, or Balsamina.
Some by reason of the name, would attribute the property of Balme vnto this plant, but it is not sufficiently knowne to haue any such; yet I am well perswaded, there may bee some extraordinary quality in so beautifull a plant, which yet lyeth hid from vs.