Of Rose Campion.

1 Lychnis Coronaria rubra. Red Rose Campion. <column-break/> 2 Lychnis Coronaria alba. White Rose Campion.

The description.

1 The first kinde of Rose Campions hath round stalkes, very knottie and woollie; and at euery knot or ioint there do stand two woollie soft leaues like Mullein, but lesser, and much narrower. The flowers growe at the top of the stalke, of a perfect red colour; which being past, there follow round cods, full of blackish seede. The roote is long and threddie. 2 The second Rose campion differeth not from the precedent in stalkes, leaues, or fashion of the flowers: the onely difference consisteth in the colour, for the flowers of this plant are of a milke white colour, and the other red.

The place.

The Rose Campion groweth plentifully in most gardens.

The time.

They flower from Iune to the ende of August.

The names.

The Rose Campion is called in Latin Dominarum Rosa, Mariana Rosa, Cœli Rosa, Cali flos: of Dioscorides λυχνὶς στεφανωματικὴ, that is, Lychnis Coronaria, or Satiua: Gaza translateth λυχνὶδα, Lucernula, bicause the leaues thereof be soft, and fit to make candle weekes, according to the testimonie of Dioscorides: it was called Lychnis or Lychnides, that is a torch or such like light, according to the signification of the worde, cleere, bright, and light giuing flowers; and therefore were called the Gardners delight, or the Gardners eie: in Dutch Christes eie: in French Oeillets, and Oeilets Dieu: in high Dutch Marien roszlin, and Himmel roszlin.

The temperature.

The seede of Rose Campion, saith Galen, is hot and drie after a sort in the second degree.

The vertues.

The seede drunken in wine is a remedie for them that are stung with a scorpion, as Dioscorides testifieth.