The Description.

            1. Three-leaved Grass of America hath divers crooked round stalks, leaning this way and that way, and divided into divers branches: whereon do grow leaves like those of the Meadow Trefoil, of a black green colour, and of the smell of Pitch Trefoil, or Treacle Clover: the flowers grow at the top of the branches, made up in a long spiked chaffy ear, of a white colour: after which cometh the seed, somewhat flat, almost like to those of Tares: the roots are long strings of a woody substance.

            2. This three leaved grass (which Dodonæus in his last Edition calleth Trifolium cochleatum primum: and Lobel, Fœnum Burgundiacum) hath divers round upright stalks, of a woody rough substance, yet not able of itself to stand without a prop or stay: which stalks are divided into divers small branches, whereupon do grow leaves joined three together like the other Trefoils, but of a dark swart green colour; the flowers grow at the top of the stalks in shape like those of the Codded Trefoil, but of a dark purple colour: the seed followeth, contained in small wrinkled husks turned round, after the manner of a water snail; the root is thick, composed of divers tough thready strings, and lasteth long in my garden with great increase.

Fig. 1687. Salamanca Trefoil (3)

            3. This Three-Leaved Grass of Salmanca, a city as I take it of Portugal, differeth not much from our field Trefoil: it hath many branches weak and tender, trailing upon the ground, of two cubits and a half high: whereupon do grow leaves set together by three upon a stem; from the bosom whereof thrust forth tender footstalks, whereon do stand most fine flowers of a bright red tending unto purple: after which come the seed wrapped in small skins, of a red colour.

            4. The Heart Trefoil hath very many flexible branches, set upon a slender stalk of the length of two or three foot, trailing hither and thither: whereupon do grow leaves joined together by three on little slender footstalks, every little leaf of the fashion of a heart, whereof it took his name: among which come forth scaly or chaffy yellow flowers: the root is thick and thready. I take this plant to be of that Medicks which Camerarius calls Arabica, which grows wild in many places with us, having the leaves a little dented in at the ends, so that they resemble the vulgar figure of a heart; and each leaf is marked with a blackish, or red spot: the flowers be small and yellow: the seeds are contained in rough buttons, wound up like the other Snail Trefoils, whereof it is a kind.

            5. This kind of three leaved grass is a low herb, creeping upon the ground: the leaves are like those of the common Trefoil, but lesser, and of a greyish green colour: the flowers are fair and yellow, fashioned like those of broom, but lesser: after come three or four cods, wherein is contained round seed: the root is long and reddish. This is the Trifolium corniculatum, or Melilotus coronata of Lobel: Lotus pentaphyllos of Gesner.

            Another Codded Trefoil is like unto the last described in every respect, saving that this plant is altogether larger, having stalks a cubit and a half high: the leaves are also four times as large, two roundish leaves growing by the stalk, and three longish ones growing upon a short footstalk coming forth between the two roundish leaves: both the stalk and leaves have a little soft downiness or hairiness on them: the flowers grow clustering together on the tops of the stalks, in shape, bigness, and colour like that of the last described, but commonly more in number: they are also succeeded by such cods as those of the former.

            6. The figure which Dodonæus hath set forth out of an old manuscript in the Emperor's library, being there figured for Coronopus, seems to be of the last described, or some plant very like thereto, though the five leaves at each joint be not put in such order as they should be, yet all the parts are well expressed, according to the drawing of those times, for you shall find few ancient expressions come so near as this doth.

            7. There is a kind of Clover growing about Narbonne in France, that hath many twiggy tough branches coming from a woody root, whereon are set leaves three together, after the manner of the other Trefoils, somewhat long, hairy, and of a hoary or overworn green colour. The flowers are yellow, and grow at the tops of the branches like those of Broom.

Fig. 1692. Yellow Horned Trefoil (8)

            8. This sends up many branches from one root, some cubit or more long, commonly lying along upon the ground, round, flexible, and divided into sundry branches: the leaves stand together by threes, and are like those of the true Medick, or Burgundy Trefoil, but much less: the flowers grow clustering together on the tops of the branches, like in shape to those of the former; of a yellow colour, and not without smell: they are succeeded by such, yet narrower crooked cods, as the Burgundy Trefoil hath (but the painter hath not well expressed them:) in these cods are contained seeds like those also of that Trefoil, and such also is the root, which lives long and much increases. It grows in Hungary, Austria, and Moravia: it flowers in June and July: Clusius calls it Medica flore flavo: Tabernamontanus, Lens maior repens: and Tragus, Meliloti maioris species tertia: Bauhin saith that about Nîmes in Narbonne it is found with flowers either yellow, white, green, blue, purple, black, or mixed of blue and green; and he calleth it Trifolium sylvestre luteum silique cornuta or Medica frutescens.

The Place.

            The several titles of most of these plants set forth their natural place of growing: the rest grow in most fertile fields of England.

The Time.

            They flower and flourish most of the summer months.

The Names.

            There is not much to be said as touching their names, more than hath been set down.

The Temperature and Virtues.

            The temperature and faculties of these Trefoils are referred unto the common meadow Trefoils.