Of Canarie seede, or Petie Panick.

| 1 Phalaris. | 2 Phalaris pratensis. | | :--- | :--- | | Canarie seede. | Quaking grasse. |

The description.

1 Canarie seed, or Canarie grasse after some, hath many small hairie rootes, from which arise small strawie stalks iointed like corne, whereupon do grow leaues like those of Barly, which the whole plant doth very well resemble. The small chaffie eare groweth at the top of the stalkes, wherein is contained small seeds like those of panike, of a yellowish colour and shining. 2 Shakers, or quaking grasse, groweth to the height of halfe a foote, and sometime higher when it groweth in fertill medowes. The stalke is very small and bentie, set with many grassie leaues like the common medow grasse, bearing at the top a bush or tuft of flat scalie pouches, like those of shepheards purse, but thicker, of a browne colour set vpon the most small and weakest hairie foote stalkes that may be found, whereupon those small pouches do hang: by meanes of which small hairie strings, the knaps which are the flowers do continually tremble and shake, in such sort that it is not possible with the most stedfast hand to hold it from shaking, whereof it tooke his name Phalaris of that cruell trembling tyrant of the same name.

The place.

Canarie seed groweth naturally in Spaine, and also in the fortunate or Canarie Ilands, and doth grow in England, or any other of these cold regions if it be sowen therein. Quaking Phalaris groweth in fertill pastures and in drie medowes.

The time.

This Canarie seed is sowen in May, and is ripe in August.

The names.

Canarie seede, or Canarie corne is called of the Grecians φάλαρις: the Latines retaining the same name Phalaris: in the Ilands of Canarie Alpisti: in English Canarie feed, Canarie corne, and Canarie grasse. is called in Cheshire about Nantwich, Quakers and Shakers, taking his name Phalaris of the tyrant Phalaris as aforesaid.

The vertues.

I finde not any thing set downe as touching the temperature of Phalaris, notwithstanding it is thought to be of the nature of Millet. The iuice and seed as Galen saith, are thought to be profitable drunke against the paines of the bladder: Apothecaries for want of Millet do vse the same with good successe in fomentations: for in drie fomentations it serueth in steed thereof, and is his succedaneum, or quid pro quo. We vse it in England also to feed the Canarie birds.