Of Sopewoort.
The description.
The stalkes of Sopewoort are slipperie, slender, round, iointed, a cubite high or higher: the leaues be broad set with vaines, very like broad leafed Plantaine, but yet lesser, standing out of euery ioint by couples for the most part, and especially those that are neerest to the rootes rootes bowing backwardes. The flowers in the top of the stalks, and about the vppermost ioints are many, well smelling, sometimes of a beautifull red colour like a Rose, otherwise of a light purple or white, which growe out of long cups, consisting of fiue leaues: in the middle of which are certaine little threds. The rootes are thicke, long, creeping aslope, hauing certaine strings hanging out of them, like to the rootes of blacke Hellebor. And if they haue once taken good & sure rooting in any ground, it is impossible to destroy them. Saponaria. Sopewoort or Brusewoort.
The place.
It is planted in gardens for the flowers sake, to the decking vp of houses, for the which purpose it chiefly serueth. It groweth wilde of it selfe neere to riuers and running brookes in sunnie places.
The time.
It flowreth in Iune and Iuly.
The names.
It is commonly called Saponaria, of the great scouring qualitie that the leaues haue. For they yeelde out of themselues a certaine iuice when they are brused, which scowreth almost as well as Sope; although Ruellius describe a certaine other Sopewort. Of some it is called Alisma, or Damasonium: of others Saponaria Gentiana, whereof doubtlesse it is a kinde: in English it is called Sopewoort, and of some Brusewoort.
The vertues.
It is hot and drie, and not a little scowring withal, hauing no vse in phisicke set downe by any author of credit.
Text in Gerard's own spelling (the long s is printed as s), transcribed by the Source Library (CC BY-SA 4.0). A chapter may run onto pages not yet transcribed. Gerard wrote within Galenic medicine; nothing here is advice.