Of Hairie Wood grasse.
The description.
Hairie Wood grasse hath rough leaues, somewhat like the precedent, but the leaues of this are longer, and proceede from a threddie roote, which is very thicke and full of strings, as the common grasse doth: with small stalks rising vp from the same rootes: but the top of these stalks are diuided into a number of little branches. And on the end of euerie one of them standeth a little flower or huske like the top of Allium Vrsinum, or common Ramsons, wherein the seede is contained when the flower is fallen. Cyperus Wood graffe hath many sheary grassie leaues, proceeding from a roote made of many hairie strings or threds: among which there riseth vp sundrie straight and vpright stalks, on whose tops tops are certaine scalie and chaffie husks, or rather spikie eares, not much vnlike the catkins or tags which grow on nut trees and Aller trees. 1 Gramen hirsutum nemorosum. Hairie Wood grasse. <column-break/> 2 Gramen Cyperinum nemorosum. Cypreffe Wood grasse. <column-break/>
The place.
These two kindes do grow in woods for the most part, or shadowie places: and may in English be called the Hairie Wood grasse. The time is common with the rest.
The names.
It is plaine that they are termed by that name, bicause they grow in woods or shades, as we haue said. * The natures and vertues. There is nothing to be said of their natures and vertues.
Text in Gerard's own spelling (the long s is printed as s), transcribed by the Source Library (CC BY-SA 4.0). A chapter may run onto pages not yet transcribed. Gerard wrote within Galenic medicine; nothing here is advice.