Of Indian Cresses.
The description.
Cresses of India hath many weake and feeble branches, rising immediately from the ground, dispersing themselues farre abroade; by meanes whereof, one plant doth occupie a great circuit of ground, as doth the great Bindeweede. The tender stalkes deuide themselues into sundrie braunches, trailing likewise vpon the grounde, somewhat bunched or swollen vp at euerie ioint or knee, which are in colour of a light red, but the spaces betweene the ioints are greene. The leaues are round like wall peniwoort, called Cotyledon, the footestalke of the leafe commeth forth on the backfide almost in the middest of the leafe, as those of Frogbit, in taste and smell like the garden Cressses. The flowers are dispersed throughout the whole plant, of colour yellowe, with a crossed starre ouerthwart the inside, of a perfect purple colour; vnto the backe part of the same doth hang a taile or spurre, such as hath the Larkes heele, or Monkes hoode, called in Latine Consolida Regalis, but greater, and the spurre or heele longer: which being past there do succeed bunched and knobbed cods or seede vessels, wherein is conteined the seede, rough, browne of colour and like vnto the seedes of the Beete, but smaller. | Nasturtium Indicum. | Flores & semina Nasturtii Indici. | | :--- | :--- | | Indian Cresses. | The flowers and seeds of Indian Cresses. |
The place.
The seedes of this rare and faire plant came first from the Indies into Spaine and those hot regions, and from thence into Fraunce and Flaunders, from whence I haue receiued seede that hath borne with me both flowers and seede, especially those I receiued from my louing friend John Robin of Paris.
The time.
The seedes must be sowen in the beginning of Aprill, vpon a bed of hot horse dung, & some fine sifted earth cast thereon, of an handfull thicke. The bed must be couered in sundrie places with hoopes and poles, to sustaine the mat or such like thing that it must be couered with in the night, and laid open to the sun in the day time; the which being sprung vp and hauing gotten three leaues, you must replant them abroad in the hottest place of the garden, and most fine and fertill moulde. Thus may you do with muske Melons, Cowcumbers, and all colde fruites that require haste, for that otherwise the frost will ouertake them, before they come to fruite bearing.
The names.
This beautifull plant is called in Latine Nasturtium Indicum: in English Indian Cresses. Although some haue deemed it a kind of Conuulus or Binde-weede: yet I am well contented that it retaine the Indian name, for that the smell and taste doth shewe it to be a kinde of Cresses.
The vertues.
We haue no certaine knowledge of his nature or vertues, but are content to refer it to the kinds of Cresses, or to a farther consideration.
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.