Of this I shall briefly describe three kinds, which are chiefly used medicinally! The virtues of each are the same, but different in the manner of their growth.
Description. The greater gromel riseth up with slender, hard, and hairy, stalks, trailing and taking root as it lieth on the ground; it spreads itself by several small branches, whereon grow hairy dark-green leaves. At the joints with the leaves grow many small blue flowers, which are succeeded by hard, stony, roundish seed.
The root is round and woody, and liveth during the winter, shooting forth fresh herbage every spring.
The small wild gromel groweth up with several straight, hard, branched stalks, two or three feet high, full of joints, bearing at each, small, long, hard, and rough leaves, very much like the former, but less. Among these leaves grow small white blossoms, which are followed by greyish round seed like the first. The root is not very large, but exceedingly thready.
The garden gromel hath many upright, slender, woody, hairy stalks, brown and crested, with but few branches, bearing leaves like the former; the flowers are white, after which cometh rough brown husks, containing white, hard, round seed, shining like pearls, and greater than either of the former. The root is like that of the first, with many branches and strings thereat, and of long duration.
Place. The two first grow wild in barren and untilled places. The last is a nursling in the gardens of the curious.
Time. They all flower from Midsummer to September, and the seed ripeneth quickly after.
Government and virtues. The dominion over these herbs is wholly claimed by Venus. They are of singular force in breaking the stone and expelling gravel, either in the reins or bladder; as also to provoke urine, and help the stranguary. The seed is most effectual for the above purposes, being bruised and boiled in white wiue, or other convenient liquor; the powder of the seed is equally efficacious. Two drachms of the seed in powder taken with breast-milk, will procure a speedy delivery to women afflicted with hard travail, and that cannot be delivered. The herb itself, (when the seed is not to be had,) either boiled, or the juice thereof drunk, will answer all the aforesaid purposes, though not so powerful in its operation.