Chap. 166. Of Cress Meadow, or Cuckow-Flower, double.
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Page 273I. The Names. This is called in L*///r, Gr X damme flore pleno, (that it was known to the Greeks, I cannot learn) and in English, Double Meadow Cress, and Double Cuckow-flower.
II. The Kinds. Taken as Garden Flowers, there are two of them, viz. I. Cardamine fiore pleno, being the double kind of that Plant, which growing Wild abroad, is called, Cardamine altera, and Sisymbrium alterum Dioscoridis, also Flos Cuculi but this Name is more usually given to the Wild feathered Campions, both single and double: in English we call it Double-flowred Cuckow-flower, or Ladies Smocks. 2. Cardamine trifolia, Trefoil Meadow Qefs, or Cuckow-flower; this is not truly a double-flowred Plant, but rather a Plant very full of Flowers, which at first fight makes it look as if it was double-flowred. These two being the fairest of all the Meadow Cresses or Cuckow-flowers, and for their Beauty being brought into Gardens, we thought belt to place them both in one Chapter.
HI The Descriptions. *The first double-flowred has a Root which creeps under Ground, fending forth many small white Fibres or Strings, and shoots up in
divers places : from this Root spring forth several winged Leaves, weak and tender, lying on the Ground, very like to the single Meadow kind-, from among which rises up a round green Stalk, set here and there with the like Leaves that grow below, the top whereof has a few Branches, on which stand several Flowers, every one of them upon a small foot Stalk, consisting of many small whitish round Leaves, a little dafit over with a blew Blush, set round together, which make a double Flower.
IV. The second, or Trefoil Cuckow-flower, has Root composed also of several white Fibres, from
the Heads whereof run forth small Strings, of a dark purple color, by which it encreases. horn this Root spring forth several dark, round, green Leaves, a little uneven about the edges, and always three set together on a blackish small foot Stalk, among which rise up small, round, blackish Stalks, fix, seven or eight inches high, with three small Leaves at the Joints where they branch forth: at the tops whereof grow many Flowers, consisting of four Leaves apiece, of a whitish, or very pale bluish color. The Flowers being pafi, small, thick and long Pods come forth, in which is contained small round Seed.
V. The Places. The first generally grows with us in Gardens, but is also found Wild in divers parts of England, as near Mitcham, about eight Miles from London, also in Lancashire, in several places : the other was brought to us at first from beyond Sea, and is here ofily nurst up in Gardens.
VI. The Times. They flower usually in the end of April or May _·, but the latter of them commonly flowers before the former.
VII. The Qualities, Specification, Preparations, Virtues and Uses, are the same with those of Garden Cress in Chap. 163. or with those of Water Cresses, to which you are referred.
Botanologia, or The English Herbal, was written by William Salmon, M.D., in 1710.
