3. Yellow Gum Succory hath long leaves like in form and division of the cut leaves to those of wild Succory, but lesser, covered all over with a hoary down. The stalk is two foot high, white and downy also, divided into sundry branches, whereupon do grow some flowers like those of Succory, but in colour yellow, which are turned into down that is carried away with the wind. The root is long, and of a mean thickness, from which, as from all the rest of the plant, doth issue forth a milky juice, which being dried is of a yellowish red, sharp, or biting the tongue. There is found upon the branches hereof a gum, as Dioscorides saith, which is used at this day in physic in the Isle Lemnos, as Bellonius witnssseth.

            4. Spanish Gum Succory hath many leaves spread upon the ground, in shape like those of Groundsel, but much more divided, and not so thick nor fat: amongst which rise up branched stalks set with leaves like those of Stœbe salamantica minor, or Silver-Weed, whereof this is a kind. The flowers grow at the top, of an overworn purple colour, which seldom show themselves abroad blown: The seed is like that of Carthamus in shape, but black and shining.

Fig. 470. Kinds of Gum and Swine's Succory (5-8)

            5. Rushy Gum Succory hath a tough and hard root, with a few short threads fastened thereto; from the which rise up a few jagged leaves like those of Succory, but much more divided: The stalk groweth up to the height of two foot, tough and limber like unto rushes, whereon are set many narrow leaves. The flowers be yellow, single and small; which being faded do fly away with the wind: the whole plant having milky juice like unto the other of his kind.

            There is another sort of this plant to be found in some places of this kingdom, and it is mentioned by Bauhin under the name of Chondrilla viscosa humilis.

            6. Sea Gum Succory hath many knobby or tuberous roots full of juice, of a whitish purple colour, with long strings fastened to them; from which immediately rise up a few small thin leaves fashioned like those of Succory, narrower below, and somewhat larger towards their ends; among which spring up small tender stalks, naked, smooth, hollow, round, of some foot high, or thereabout: each of these stalks have one flower, in shape like that of the Dandelion, but lesser. The whole plant is whitish or hoary, as are many of the sea plants.

            7. Swine's Succory hath white small and tender roots, from the which rise many indented leaves like those of Dandelion, but much less, spread or laid flat upon the ground; from the midst whereof rise up small soft and tender stalks, bearing at the top double yellow flowers like those of Dandelion or Piss-a-bed, but smaller: the seed with the downy tuft flieth away with the wind.

            8. The Male Swine's Succory hath a long and slender root, with some few threads or strings fastened thereto; from which spring up small tender leaves about the bigness of those of Daisies, spread upon the ground, cut or snipped about the edges confusedly, of an overworn colour, full of a milky juice: among which rise up divers small tender naked stalks, bearing at the top of every stalk one flower and no more, of a faint yellow colour, and something double: which being ripe, do turn into down that is carried away with the wind: the seed likewise cleaveth unto the said down, and is also carried away with the wind. The whole plant perisheth when it hath perfected his seed, and recovereth itself again by the falling thereof.

Fig. 471. Wart-Succory (9)

            9. I think it expedient in this place to deliver unto you the history of the Cichorium verrucarium, or Zacintha of Matthiolus. This Wart-Succory (for so I will call it) hath leaves almost like Endive, green, with pretty deep gashes on their sides; the stalks are much crested, and at the top divided into many branches; between which, and at their sides grow many short stalks with yellow flowers like those of Succory, but that these turn not into down, but into cornered and hard heads, most commonly divided into eight cells or parts, wherein the seed is contained.

The Place.

            These plants are found only in gardens in this country; the seventh & eighth excepted, which peradventure may be found to grow in untilled places, upon ditches, banks and the borders of fields, or the like.

The Time.

            They do flower from May to the end of August.

The Names.

            Gum Succory hath been called of the Latins Condrilla, and Chondrilla: Diosciorides and Pliny call it Cichorion, and Seris, by reason of some likeness they have with Succory, especially the two first, which have blue flowers as those of the Succories. Lobel maketh Cichorea verrucaria to be Zacintha of Matthiolus.

The Names in particular.

            1. This is called Chondrilla cærulea belgarum, of Lobel: Apate, of Dalechampius.

            2. Conrilla 2 of Matthiolus: Chondrilla latifolia cærulea, of Tabernamonontus.

            3. Chondrilla prior dioscoridis, of Clusius and Lobel.

            4. Chondrilla rara purpurea, &c. of Lobel: Chondrilla hispanica narbonensis, of Tabernamontanus: Seneciocarduus apulus, of Columna.

            5. Chondrilla prima dioscoridis, of Columna and Bauhin: Viminea viscosa, of Lobel and Clusius.

            6. Chondrilla altera dioscoridis, of Columna: Lobel calls it, Chondrilla pusilla marina lutea bulbosa.

            7. Hypochæris porcellia, of Tabernamontanus.

            8. Hieracium minimum 9 of Clusius: Hyoseris latifolia, of Tabernamontanus. The two last should have been put among the Hieracia.

            9. Cichorium verrucarium, and Zacinthus of Matthiolus and Clusius.

The Nature and Virtues.

            These kinds of gum Succory are like in temperature to the common Succory, but drier.

            A. The root and leaves tempered with honey, and made into trochisks, or little flat cakes, with nitre or saltpeter added to them, cleanse away the morphew, sun-burnings, and all spots of the face.

            B. The gum which is gathered from the branches, whereof it took his name, layeth down the hairs of the eyebrows and such like places: and in some places it is used for mastic, as Bellonius observes.

            C. The gum powdered with myrrh, and put into a linen cloth, and a pessary made thereof like a finger, and put up, bringeth down the terms in young wenches and such like.

            D. The seeds of Zacintha beat to powder, and given in the decreasing of the Moon to the quantity of a spoonful, taketh away warts, and such like excrescences, in what part of the body soever they be; the which medicine a certain chirurgeon of Padua did much use, whereby he gained great sums of money, as reporteth that ancient physician Ioachimus Camerarius of Nuremberg a famous city in Germany. And Matthiolus affirms that he hath known some helped of warts, by once eating the leaves hereof in a salad.