The Description.
1 Bolbonac or the Sattin floure hath hard and round stalks, dividing themselves into many other small branches, beset with leaves like Dames Violets or Queenes Gillofloures, somewhat broad, and snipt about the edges, and in fashion almost like Sauce alone, or Jacke by the hedge, but that they are longer and sharper pointed. The stalks are charged or loden with many floures like the common stocke Gillofloure, of a purple colour: which being fallen, the seed comes forth, contained in a flat thin cod, with a sharp point or pricke at one end, in fashion of the Moon, but somewhat blackish. This cod is composed of three filmes or skins, whereof the two outmost are of an overworne ash colour, and the innermost or that in the middle, wheron the seed doth hang or cleave, is thinne and cleere shining, like a shred of white Sattin newly cut from the piece. The whole plant dieth the same yeare that it hath borne seed, and must be sown yearly. The root is compact of many tuberous parts like Key clogs, or like the great Asphodill.
The Place.
These Plants are set and sowne in gardens, notwithstanding the first hath bin found wild in the woods about Pinner and Harrow on the hill 12 miles from London, and in Essex likewise about Horn-church.
The Time.
They floure in Aprill the next yeare after they be sowne.
The Names.
We call this herbe in English, Penny floure, or Mony-floure, Silver Plate, Pricksong-wort; in Norfolke, Sattin, and white Sattin; and among our women it is called Honestie.
The Temperature and Vertues.
The seed of Bulbonac is sharpe of taste, like in force to the seed of Treacle mustard: the roots likewise are somewhat of a biting qualitie, but not much: they are eaten with sallads as certaine other roots are.
A certain Helvetian Surgeon composed a most singular unguent for green wounds, of the leaves of Bolbonac and Sanicle stamped together, adding thereto oile and wax. The seed is greatly commended against the falling sicknesse.