Fig. 847. Common Knot-Grass

The Description.

            1. The common male Knot-Grass creeps along upon the ground, with long slender weak branches full of knots or joints, whereof it took his name. The leaves grow upon the weak branches, like those of small St. John's Wort, but longer and narrower. The flowers are marvellous little, and grow out of the knots, of an herby colour; in their places come up triangular seed. The root is long, slender, and full of strings.

            2. The second differeth not from the former, but only that it is altogether lesser, wherein especially consisteth the difference. Because the difference is no otherwise, I have thought good to omit the figure.

            3. The authors of the Adversaria mention another larger Knot-Grass which grows in divers places of the coast of the Mediterranean sea, having longer and larger branches and leaves, and those of a white shining colour. The seeds grow at the joints in chaffy white husks and the whole plant is of a salt and astringent taste. They call it Polygonum marinum maximum.

The Place.

            These Knot-Grasses do grow in barren and stony places almost everywhere.

The Time.

            They are in flower and seed all the summer long.

The Names.

            Knot-Grass is called of the Grecians, Polygonum mas, or Male Knot-Grass: in Latin, Seminalis, Sanguinaria: of Columella, Sanguinalis: in shops, Centumnodia, and Corrigiola: of Apuleius, Proserpinaca: in High Dutch, Moagdryt: in Low Dutch, Verkens gras, and Duijsent knop: in Italian, Polygono: in Spanish, Corriola: in French,  Renovee: in Walloon, Mariolaine de Cure: in English, Knot-Grass, and Swine's Grass: in the North, Bird's Tongue.

The Temperature.

            Knot-grass (as Galen teacheth) is of a binding quality, yet is it cold in the second, if not in the beginning of the third degree.

The Virtues,

            A. The juice of Knot-Grass is good against the spitting of blood, the pissing of blood, and all other issues or fluxes of blood, as Brasanolus reporteth: and Camerarius saith he hath cured many with the juice thereof, that have vomited blood, given in a little styptic wine. It greatly prevaileth against the gonorrhœa, that is, the running of the reins, and the weakness of the back coming by means thereof, being shred and made in tansy with eggs and eaten.

            B. The decoction of it cures the disease aforesaid in as ample manner as the juice: or given in powder in a rear egg it helpeth the back very much.

            C. The herb boiled in wine and honey cureth the ulcers and inflammations of the secret parts of man or woman, adding thereto a little alum, and the parts washed therewith.

            D. Dioscorides saith that it provoketh urine, and helpeth such as do piss drop after drop, when the urine is hot and sharp.

            E. It is given unto swine with good success, when they are sick and will not eat their meat; whereupon the country people do call it Swine's Grass and Swine's Skire.