The Description.
Cats-taile hath long and flaggy leaves full of a spongeous matter or pith, amongst which leaves groweth up a long smooth naked stalke without knot, fashioned like a speare, of a firm or sollid substance, having at the top a browne knop or eare, soft, thick, and smooth, seeming to be nothing else but a deale of flocks thicke set and thrust together, which being ripe turns into a downe and is carried away with the winde. The roots be hard, thicke, and white, full of strings, and good to burne, where there is plenty thereof to be had.
The Place.
It groweth in pooles and such like standing waters, and sometimes in running streames.
I have found a smaller kinde hereof growing in the ditches and marishie grounds in the Isle of Shepey, going from Sherland house to Feversham.
The Time.
They floure and beare their mace or torch in July and August.
The Names.
It is called in English, Cats-taile or Reed-mace. Of this Cats-taile Aristophanes makes mention in his Comedy of Frogs, where he bringeth them forth one talking with another, being very glad that they had spent the whole day in skipping and leaping inter Cyperum & Phleum, among Galingale and Cats-taile.
The Vertues.
The soft downe stamped with Swines grease wel washed, healeth burnes or scalds with fire or water.
This downe in some places of the Isle of Ely and the Low-countries adjoyning thereto, is gathered and well sold to make mattresses thereof for plow-men and poore people.
It hath been also often proved to heale kibed or humbled heeles, (as they are termed) being applied to them either before or after the skin is broken.