Of Venus Looking glasse.

¶ The description. BEsides the former Bell-flowers, there is likewise a certaine other, which is low and little; the stalks whereof are tender, two spans long, diuided into many branches most commonly lying vpon the ground. The leaues about the stalkes are little, slightly nicked in the edges. The flowers are very small, of a bright purple colour tending blewnesse very beautifull, with wide mouthes like brode bels, hauing a white chiue or thred in the middle. The flowers in the day time are wide open, and about the setting of the sunne are shut vp and closed fast togither, in fiue corners, as they are before their first opening, and as the other Bell flowers are. The rootes be very slender, and perish when they haue perfected their seed.

The place.

It groweth in ploughed fields among the corne, in a plentifull and fruitfull soile. I found it in a field among the corne by Greenehithe, as I went from thence toward Dartford in Kent, & in many other places therabout, but not elsewhere: from whence I brought of the seedes for my garden, where they come vp of themselues from yeere to yeere by falling of the seede.

The time.

It flowreth in Iune and Iuly, and the seed is ripe in the end of August.

The names.

It is called Campana Aruensis, and of some Onobrychis, but vnproperly: of other Cariophyllus segetum, or Corne Gilloflower, or Corne pinke, and Speculum Veneris, or Ladies glasse. The Brabanders in their toong call it Vrowen Spiegel.

The vertues.

We haue not found any thing written either of his vertue or temperature, of the ancient or later writers.