The Description.
1 English Cudweed hath sundry slender and upright stalks divided into many branches, and groweth as high as common Wormwood, whose colour and shape it much resembleth. The leaves shoot from the bottome of the turfe full of haires, among which do grow small pale coloured floures like those of the small Coniza or Flea-bane. The whole plant is of a bitter taste.
8 There is a kinde of Cotton-weed, being of greater beautie than the rest, that hath strait and upright stalkes 3 foot high or more, covered with a most soft and fine wooll, and in such plentifull manner, that a man may with his hands take it from the stalke in great quantitie: which stalke is beset with many small long and narrow leaves, greene upon the inner side, and hoary on the other side, fashioned somewhat like the leaves of Rosemary, but greater. The floures do grow at the top of the stalkes in bundles or tufts, consisting of many small floures of a white colour, and very double, compact, or as it were consisting of little silver scales thrust close together, which doe make the same very double. When the floure hath long flourished, and is waxen old, then comes there in the middest of the floure a certaine browne yellow thrumme, such as is in the middest of the Daisie: which floure being gathered when it is young, may be kept in such manner as it was gathered (I meane in such freshnesse and well liking) by the space of a whole yeare after, in your chest or elsewhere: wherefore our English women have called it Live-long, or Live for ever, which name doth aptly answer his effects.
9 This plant hath three or foure small grayish cottony or woolly stalkes, growing strait from the root, and commonly divided into many little branches: the leaves be long, narrow whitish, soft and woolly, like the other of his kinde: the floures be round like buttons, growing very many together at the top of the stalkes, but nothing so yellow as Mouse-eare, which turne into downe, and are carried away with the winde.
10 The tenth is like unto the last before mentioned, in stalkes, leaves, and floures, but much larger, and for the most part those floures which appeare first are the lowest, and basest, and they are overtopt by other floures which come on younger branches, and grow higher, as children seeking to overgrow or overtop their parents, (as many wicked children do) for which cause it hath beene called Herba impia, that is, the wicked Herbe, or Herbe Impious.
The Vertues.
The fume or smoke of the herbe dried, and taken with a funnell, being burned therein, and received in such manner as we use to take the fume of Tabaco, that is, with a crooked pipe made for the same purpose by the Potter, prevaileth against the cough of the lungs, the great ache or paine of the head, and cleanseth the breast and inward parts.