Gerard's Herbal - Part 2
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| Fig. 481. Great Hawkweed (1) |
Fig. 482. Small Hare's Hawkweed, or Yellow Devil's-Bit (2) |
The Kinds.
Hawkweed is also a kind of Succory; of which Dioscerides maketh two sorts, and the later writers more: the which shall be described in this chapter following, where they shall be distinguished as well with several titles as sundry descriptions.
The Description.
1. The Great Hawkweed hath large and long leaves spread upon the ground, in shape like those of the Sow-Thistle: the stalk groweth to the height of two cubits, branched into sundry arms or divisions, hollow within as the young Kex, reddish of colour; whereupon do grow yellow flowers thick and double, which turn into down that flieth away with the wind when the seed is ripe. The root is thick, tough and thready.
2. The small Hawkweed, which of most writers hath been taken for Yellow Devil's-bit, hath long leaves deeply cut about the edges, with some sharp roughness thereon like unto Sow-Thistle. The stalks and flowers are like the former: the root is compact of many small strings, with a small knob, or as it were the stump of an old root in the middle of those strings, cut or bitten off; whereupon it took his name Devil's-Bit.
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| Fig. 483. Black Hawkweed (3) |
Fig.484. Succory Hawkweed (4) |
3. Black Hawkweed hath very many long jagged leaves, not much unlike to those of Buck's-Horn, spread flat and far abroad upon the ground, which the picture cannot express as is requisite, in so little room: among which rise up many stalks slender and weak, the flowers growing at the top yellow and very double: it hath also a thready root.
4. Succory Hawkweed hath many long and large leaves spread upon the ground, deeply cut on both sides almost to the middle rib; from which rise up small stalks and flowers like those of the less Dandelion, but lesser. The root consisteth of many small thready strings.
Fig. 485. Kinds of Hawkweed (5-8)
5. Endive Hawkweed hath many broad leaves, indented about the edges very like unto Garden Endive, but narrower; among which rise up stalks a foot or more high, slender, hairy, and brittle: the flowers are yellow, and grow at the top double, and thick set in a scaly husk like the Knapweed or Iacea, having great thick and thready roots. This hath a stalk sometimes more, and otherwhiles less rough, with the leaves somtimes more cut in, more long and narrow, and again otherwhiles more short and broad.
6. Long-rooted Hawkweed hath many broad leaves spread upon the ground, slightly & confusedly indented about the edges, with somewhat a bluntish point; among which leaves spring up strong and tough stalks a foot and half high, set on the top with fair double yellow flowers much like unto a Piss-a-bed. The root is very long, white and tough.
7. Sharp Hawkweed hath leaves like those of Langue-de-Buf or Ox-Tongue, but much narrower, sharp about the edges, and rough in the middle: the stalks be long and slender, set with the like leaves, but lesser: the flowers grow at the top, double and yellow: the root is tough & thready.
8. Crooked or Falked Hawkweed hath leaves like unto the garden Succory, yet much smaller, and divided, slightly indented on both sides, with tender, weak, and crooked stalks; whereupon do grow flowers like those of Lampsana, of a black, or pale yellow colour, and the roots small and thready. The seeds are long, and falcated, or crooked, so that they somewhat resemble the foot or claws of bird, and from these seeds the plant hath this epithet, falcatum, or crooked in manner of a scythe or sickle.
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| Fig. 486. The other Crooked Hawkweed (9) |
Fig. 487. Broad-Leaved Mountain Hawkweed (10) |
9. This in leaves is not much unlike the last described, but that they are somewhat broader, and less cut in, having little or no bitterness nor milkiness, the stalks are some foot high commonly bending, or falling upon the ground; the flowers are small and yellow, and to grow out of the midst of the seed, whenas indeed they grow at the top of them, the rest being but an empty husk which is falcated like that of the last described. This figure we give you was taken before the flowers were blown, so that by that means the falcated or crooked seed vessels are not expressed in this, but you may see their manner of growing by the former.
10. The broad-Leaved mountain Hawkweed hath broad, long, smooth leaves, deeply indented toward the stalk, relembling the leaves of the greatest Sow-thistle. The stalk is hollow, and spongeous, full of a milky juice, as is the rest of the plant, as also all the other of his kind; the flowers grow at the top of the stalks, double and yellow.
Fig. 488. Narrow-Leaved or Lesser Mountain Hawkweed (11)
11. The Narrow-Leaved Mountain Hawkweed hath leaves like those of the last described, but narrower. The stalks be fat, hollow, and full of milk: the flowers grow at the top double, and yellow of colour. The root is small and thready.
There is a small mountain Hawkweed having leaves like unto the former, but more deeply cut about the edges, and sharper pointed, the stalks are tender and weak, the flowers be double and yellow like those of Pilosella, or great Mouse-Ear; the root is small and thready.
The Place.
These kinds of herbs do grow in untoiled places near unto the borders of corn fields, in meadows, highways, woods, mountains, and hilly places, and near to the brinks of ditches.
The two falcated Hawkweeds grow only in some few gardens.
The Time.
They flower for the most part all the summer long, some sooner, and others later.
The Names in General.
These plants are all contained under the name of Hieracium: divers name it in Latin, Accipitrina, which is termed in French, cichoree jaulne: in English, Hawkweed. These herbs took their name from a Hawk, which is called in Latin Accipiter, for they are reported to clear their sight by conveying the juice hereof into their eyes. Gaza calleth it Porcellia for it is numbered among the Succories, they are called also Lampuca.
Yellow Hawkweed is called of some Morsus diaboli, or yellow Devil's bit, for that the root doth very well resemble the bitten or cropped root of the common Devil's bit, being like Scabious.
The Names in Particular.
1. Matthiolus, Fuchsius, Dodonĉus, and others call this Hieracium maius.
2, 3. These are varieties of the same plant, the first of them being called by Fuchsius, Dodonĉus, and Matthiolus, Hieracium minus, Lobel calls it, Hieracium minus praĉmorsa radice. That sort of this with more cut leaves is by Tabernamontanus called, Hieracium nigrum.
4. Lobel calls this Hieracium foliis & facie chondrilla; Bauhin makes this to differ from that which our author gave in this 4. place out of Tabernamontanus for he terms this Hieracium chondrilla folio hirsutum, and the other, Hieracium chondrilla folio glabrum; the one rough-leaved, the other smooth; yet that which grows frequently with us, and is very well represented by this figure, hath smooth leaves, as he also observed it to have in Italy and about Montpellier in France.
5. This is Hieracium alterum grandius, and Hieracium montanum angustifolium primum of Tabernamontanus.
6. Lobel calls this from the length of the root (though sometimes it be not so long) Hieracium longius radicatum; as also Tabernamontanus Hieracium macrorhizon, it is thought to be the Apargia of Theophrastes, by Dalechampius in the Hist. Lugd. pag. 562, but the figure there that bears the title is of Hieracium minus.
7. Tabernamontanus first gave this under the name of Hieracium intybaceum asperum. Bauhin refers it to the wild yellow Succories, and calls it Cichoreum montanum angustifolium hirsute asperum.
8. This Lobel calls Hieracium narbonense falcata siliqua.
9. He calls this Hieracium facie hedypnois: and Cĉsalpinus terms this Rhagadiolus; and the last mentioned, Rhagadiolus alter.
10. This by Tabernamontanus is called Hieracium montanum maius latifolium.
11. Tabernamontanus also styles this Hieracium montanum latifolium minus.
The Nature.
The kinds of Hawkweed are cold and dry, and somewhat binding.
The Virtues.
A. They are in virtue and operation like to Sonchus or Sow-thistle, and being used after the same manner, be as good to all purposes that it doth serve unto.
B. They be good for the eyesight, if the juice of them be dropped into the eyes, especially that which is called Devil's-Bit, which is thought to be the best, and of greatest force.
C. Therefore as Dioscorides writeth, it is good for an hot stomach, and for inflammations if it be laid on them.
D. The herb and root being stamped and applied, is a remedy for those that be stung of the scorpion; which effect not only the greater Hawkweeds, but the lesser ones also do perform.
