CULPEPER'S COMPLETE HERBAL

GRASS PLANTAIN

Description. This is a singular grassy and apparently weedy herb. The leaves are very green, curling, and involving one with another in a curious manner, like tufts of sea-grass. The flowers are single, and consist of four white leaves each, with long threads growing out of each centre, at the top of which are small white buttons. The whole plant grows but to about four inches high.

Place. It is common on the isle of Sheppey, and in other parts about the sea coasts.

Time. It flowers in June.

Virtues. The expressed juice of this plantain is good against spitting of blood, immoderate fluxes of the menses, and piles. The seeds reduced to powder, and taken, stop the whites. The leaves bruised, and applied to fresh cuts, soon heal them, and are good to cleanse and heal ulcers. This is astringent, cooling, and healing. Very little good is got from this plant by distillation, for tis virtues will not rise this way; but a decoction ofthe entire plant is excellent in all urethral and uterine disorders.