The Description.
1 The male Mullein or Higtaper hath broad leaves, very soft, whitish and downy; in the midst of which riseth up a stalk, straight, single, and the same also whitish all over, with a hoary down, and covered with the like leaves, but lesser and lesser even to the top; among which taperwise are set a multitude of yellow floures consisting of five leaves apiece: in the places wherof come up little round vessels, in which is contained very small seed. The root is long, a finger thicke, blacke without, and full of strings.
2 The female Mullein hath likewise many white woolly leaves, set upon an hoary cottony upright stalke of the height of foure or five cubits: the top of the stalke resembleth a torch decked with infinite white floures, which is the speciall marke to know it from the male kinde, being like in every other respect.
The Place.
These plants grow of themselves neere the borders of pastures, plowed fields, or causies & dry sandy ditch banks, and in other untilled places. They grow in great plenty neere unto a lyme-kiln upon the end of Blacke heath next to London, as also about the Queenes house at Eltham neere to Dartford in Kent; in the highwayes about Highgate neere London, and in most countries of England that are of a sandy soile.
The Time.
They are found with their floure from July to September, and bring forth their seed the second yeare after it is sowne.
The Names.
Mullein is called in shops, Tapsus Barbatus: of divers, Candela Regia, Candelaria, and Lanaria: in French, Bouillon: in English, Mullein, or rather Woollen, Higtaper, Torches, Longwort, and Bullocks Longwort; and of some, Hares beard.
The Vertues.
The country people, especially the husbandmen in Kent, do give their cattel the leaves to drink against the cough of the lungs, being an excellent approved medicine for the same, wherupon they call it Bullocks Lungwort.
The report goeth (saith Pliny) that figs do not putrifie at all that are wrapped in the leaves of Mullein.