Gerard's Herbal
The Description.
1. The first kind of Onobrychis hath many small and twiggy pliant branches, ramping and creeping through and about bushes, or whatsoever it groweth near unto: the leaves and all the rest of the pulse or plant is very like to the wild Vetch or Tare: the flowers grow at the top of small naked stalks, in shape like the Pea bloom, but of a purple colour laid over with blue, which turn into small round prickly husks, that are nothing else but the seed.
2. The second kind of Vetchling or Cock's-Head, of Clusius his description, hath very many stalks, especially when it is grown to an old plant, round, hard, and leaning to the ground like the other pulses; and leaves very like Galega, or the wild Vetch, of a bitter taste and loathsome savour: among which come forth small round stems, at the ends whereof do grow flowers spike fashion, three inches long, in shape like those of the great Lagopus, or Meadow Trefoil, but longer, of an excellent shining purple colour, but without smell: after which there follow small cods, containing little hard and black seed, in taste like the Vetch. The root is great and long, hard, and of a woody substance, spreading itself far abroad, and growing very deep into the ground.
3. The third kind of Vetchling or Cock's-Head hath from a tough small and woody root, many twiggy branches growing a cubit high, full of knots, ramping and creeping on the ground. The leaves are like the former, but smaller and shorter: among which come forth small tender stems, whereupon do grow little flowers like those of the Tare, but of a blue colour tending to purple: the flowers being faded, there come the small cods, which contain little black seed like a Kidney, of a black colour.
4. The fourth kind of Vetchling hath firm green hard stalks a cubit and a half high, whereupon grow leaves like to the wild Tare or Galega; but smaller and somewhat hairy, bitter and unpleasant in taste, and in the end somewhat sharp. At the top of the stalks come forth long spiked flowers, of a pale colour, and in shape like those of the second kind; which being faded, there follow small bottle cods, wherein is contained little black seed like the seed of Fenugreek, but smaller. The root is thick and hard, and of a woody substance, and lasting very long.
Fig. 1769. Mountain Medick Vetch (5)
5. The fifth kind of Onobrychis hath many gross and woody stalks, proceeding immediately from a thick, fat, and fleshy tough root: the upper part of which are small, round, and pliant, garnished with little leaves like those of Lentils, or rather Tragacantha, somewhat soft, and covered over with a woolly hairiness: amongst which come forth little long and naked stems, eight or nine inches long, whereon do grow many small flowers of the fashion of the Vetch or Lentil, but of a blue colour tending to purple; and after them come small cods, wherein the seed is contained.
The Place.
The first and second grow upon Barton hill, four miles from Luton in Bedfordshire, upon both the sides of the hill: and likewise upon the grassy banks between the lands of corn two miles from Cambridge, near to a water mill towards London; & divers other places by the way from London to Cambridge: the rest are strangers in England.
The Time.
These plants do flower in July; their seed is ripe shortly after.
The Names.
It is anonymos, or without a name among the later writers: the old and ancient physicaans do call it Onobrychis: for all those things that are found written in Dioscorides or Pliny concerning Onobrychis, do especially agree hereunto. Dioscorides writeth thus; Onobrychis hath leaves like a Lentil, but longer; a stalk a span high; a crimson flower; a little root: it groweth in moist and untilled places: and Pliny in like manner; Onobrychis hath the leaves of a Lentil, somewhat longer, a red flower, a small and slender root: it groweth about springs or fountains of water.
All which things and every particular are in this anonymos, or nameless herb, as it is manifest: and therefore it is not to be doubted at all, but that the same is the Onobrychis of the old writers: it may be called in English Red Vetchling, or as some suppose Medick Vetch, or Cock's-Head.
The Temperature.
These herbs as Galen hath written in his books of the Faculties of Simple Medicines, do rarefy or make thin and waste away.
The Virtues.
A. Therefore the leaves thereof when it is green, being but as yet laid upon hard swellings, waxen kernels, in manner of a salve, do waste and consume them away, but being dried and drunk in wine they cure the strangury; and laid on with oil it procureth sweat.
B. Which things also concerning Onybrychis, Dioscorides hath in these words set down: the herb stamped and applied wasteth away hard swellings of the kernels; but being drunk with wine it helpeth the strangury, and rubbed on with oil it causeth sweatings.