In the meantime, that this necessary topick be not altogether void, I will sett down such plants as I remember to have seen in my frequent journeys. ’Twas pleasant to behold how every ten or twenty miles yield a new entertainment in this kind.
I will begin in the north part, towardes Coteswold in Gloucestershire.
In Bradon Forest growes very plentifully rank wood-wax;
and a blew grasse they call July-flower grasse, which
cutts the sheepes mouthes; except in the spring. (I
suppose it is that sort of Cyperus grasse which some
herbarists call “gramen caryophylleu{s}".- J.
Ray.) Wood-wax growes also plentifully between
Easton-Piers and Yatton Keynel; but not so rank as
at Bradon Forest.
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At Mintie is an abundance of wild mint, from whence
the village is denominated.
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Argentina (wild tansey) growes the most in the fallowes
in Coteswold, and North Wilts adjoyning, that I ever
saw. It growes also in the fallowes in South
Wiltshire, but not so much. (Argentina grows for ye
most part in places that are moist underneath, or where
water stagnates in winter time. — J. Ray.)
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About Priory St. Maries, and in the Minchin-meadowes* there, but especially at Brown’s-hill, which is opposite to the house where, in an unfortunate hour, I drew my first breath, there is infinite variety of plants; and it would have tempted me to have been a botanist had I had leisure, which is a jewell I could be never master of. In the banks of the rivulet growes abundantly maiden-haire (adiantum capillas veneris), harts-tongue, phyllitis, brooke-lime (anagallis aquatica), &c. cowslip (arthritica) and primroses (primula veris) not inferior to Primrose Hills. In this ground calver-keys, hare-parsely, wild vetch, maiden’s-honesty, polypodium, fox-gloves, wild-vine, bayle. Here is wonderfull plenty of wild saffron, carthamus, and many vulnerary plants, now by me forgott. There growes also adder’s-tongue, plenty — q. if it is not the same with viper’s-tongue? (We have no true black mayden-hair growing in England. That which passeth under that name in our apothecaries’ shops, and is used as its succeedaneum, is trichomores. Calver-keys, hare’s-parseley, mayden’s-honesty, are countrey names unknown to me. Carthamus growes no where wild with us. It may possibly be sown in ye fields, as I have seen it in Germany.-J. Ray.)
* Minchin is an old word for a nunne.
Vide my Villa. “Quoque loco primum tibi sum male cognitus infans”. In Natalem, Ovid. Trist. lib. iii.
This north part of the shire is very naturall for
barley. Till the beginning of the civill warrs
wheat was rarely sown hereabout; and the brown bread
was barley: now all the servants and poor people
eat wheaten bread.
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