Chap. 027. Of the Lesser Wild Arach.

I. The Names. It is called in Greek, ’Ατογςαξιο αγζια μιχογ: in Latin, Atriplex Sylvestris parva: in English, Wild Arach, the less.

II. The Kinds. The lesser Wild Arach is three-fold,
1. Narrow Leaved. (Atriplex patula. -Henriette.)
2. Berry-bearing. (Chenopodium capitatum, Blitum capitatum. -Henriette.)
3. Broad Leaved. (Chenopodium urbicum. -Henriette.)

I. The Narrow Leaved, is,
1. Atriplex Sylvestris angustifolia, Narrow Leaved Wild Arach.
2. Atriplex Sylvestris angustifolia altera, Another kind of Narrow Leaved.

II. Atriplex baccifera rubra, Red Berry-bearing Arach.

III. Atriplex Sylvestris latifolia minor sive, Pes Anserinus, The lesser Wild Broad Leaved Arach, or Goose Foot; whose Description, Virtues, &c. you may see in Chap. 312. following. This last Broad Leaved kind is called Minor, in respect it is accounted of the lesser Kind, and is lesser than the Great Broad Kind, described in the former Chapter.

III. The Descriptions. The first, Narrow Leav'd Wild Arach, has a long slender Root, with many strings coming from it, from whence rises up one pretty large Stalk, with many large Branches on it, all over Mealy or Sandy, with. a greenish grey or white Sandiness, as also are the Leaves: the Leaves grow single, and are placed irregularly up and down the Branches, they are long and narrow, almost like the Leaves of Hydropiper, or Loosestrife, but that they are shorter and narrower, not dented on the edges, set at the joints, smooth, and pointed at the ends: The Stalks and Branches shoot up into long Spiky Heads, of green yellow flowers, not much unlike to the great broad kind in the former Chapter, and the Seed like the same also.

IV. The other Narrow Leav'd Arach of the lesser kind, is not much unlike to the former, but every way lesser, and the Leaves narrower, mostly smooth on the edges, and pointed, but sometime some of them are divided or jagged, or a little notched, for which reason Lobel called it, Atriplex Sylvestris polygoni aut Helxines folio. The Stalks, flowers and Seed, are also like the former.

V. The Red Berry-bearing Arrach, is a Wild Arrach also in Spain but with us it's Nurs'd up in Gardens: It is an Elegant Plant, having a Root small and fibrous, and perishing after Seed time, whence comes divers slender Branches somewhat Woody, about a foot high, more or less, (according as the place where it grows, and the goodness of the Ground will produce, for all the kinds of Araches, both Garden and Wild, delight to grow in a fat, Rank Soil, as on Dunghills, etc.) from these Stalks and Branches come forth small cornered Leaves, not much unlike to the Broad Leav'd Wild Arach in the former Chapters, set at the joints one above another; and at every of the said joints with the Leaves, which stand upon foot-stalks, even from the lowest Leaves, near the Root, stands a small Red Berry. Cluster fashion, that is like to a Bramble or Dew Berry, Clear, and almost transparent, with many small Grains in it, and full of an admirable Juice, as Red as Blood, or deep Red Wine, which being bruised upon the back of the Hand, while it is fresh, will seem as if you had drawn Blood out thereof, which Berry being dry grows blackish, and contains in it small blackish Seed, out of which this very Beautiful Plant will spring up every Year of its own accord, if suffered to shed.

VI. The Places. The two first grow by Walls, old Hedges, Ditch sides, and Dunghills, in almost all places throughout the Kingdom: the Berry-bearing is Wild in Spain, from whence being brought to us, it is planted and nourished up in Gardens.

VII. The Times. They all Flower in the Summer Months, as May, June, July, and August, the Seed continually ripening in the mean Season.

VIII. The Qualities. These Wild kinds are not so Cold and Moist as the former, not exceeding the first Degree. They are Abstersive, Attenuating, Emollient, and Alterative ; dedicated, as the others, to the Womb and Joints.

IX. The Specification. They are proper against Wounds and Ulcers, the Gout, Pains and Aches, proceeding from a hot Cause.

X. The Preparations. There are made thereof,
1. A Powder of the Seed.
2. A Juice.
3. An Essence.
4. A Decoction.
5. A Syrup.
6. A Cataplasm.
7. A Balsam.
8. The Juice of the Berries of the Red Berry-bearing.

The Virtues.

XI. The Uses of all these Preparations are the same with those in the two aforegoing Chapters, and therefore to them we refer you ; these Herbs having the same Virtues and Properties, but not full out so Cold and Moist.

XII. The Berries of the Red Berry-bearing Arach. The Beauty of the Juice is admirable ; but what Physical Virtues it may have is not so fully known: being given inwardly to j. dram, or more, in Red Wine or Alicant, it is good against Spitting Blood, Pissing Blood, or the Bloody Flux: The Juice being inspissated and reduced to a Powder, is good to stop Bleeding outwardly: and inwardly given, it stops the overflowing of the Loches, or the Terms in Women, and strengthens the Womb. Doubtless out of it there may be made several glorious Pigments, or Limning Colours, for the uses of Limners, Painters, etc. Dose of the inspissate Juice is half a dram, or more, in any proper Vehicle.

Botanologia, or The English Herbal, was written by William Salmon, M.D., in 1710.
This chapter has been proofread by Lisa Haller and Debs Cook.