The Herball or Generall Historie of Plantes. Gathered by John Gerarde of London Master in Chirvrgeria,
Imprinted at London by Iohn Norton. 1597
Of Red Sumach. Chap. 106.
The description
These two figures are one and the selsesame plant, the first sheweth the shrub being in flower: the other when it is full flowred with the fruit growen to ripenesse, notwithstanding some haue deemed them to be of two kindes, wherein they were deceiued.
This excellent and most beautifull plant Coggygria (being reputed of Italians and the venetias for a kinde of Rhus or Sumach, bicause it is used for the same purposes whereto Rhus serueth and therein doth far excell it) is an hedge plant growing not aboue the height of sower or fiue cubits, hauing though and pliant stalks and twiggie branches like unto Oziers, of a browne colour. The leaues be round, thicke and stiffe like the leaues of Clapparis, in colour and fauor of Pistacia leaues, or --- among other which --- a small upright sprig; bearing at the toppe a most fine woollie or flockie tuft, crisped and curled like a curious wrought silken fleece, which curleth and foldeth it selfe abroad like a large bush of haires, copact of crimson coloured haire; among it which commeth foorth --- seede, which like unto Lacs[?], but smaller, and of a darker red clour.
The place
Coggyria groweth in Orleans neere Auinion, and in diuers places of Italie, upon the Alpes of Histria, and many other places. It groweth on most of the hils of France, in the high woods of the upper Pannonia or Austria, and also of Hungaria and Bohemia.
The time.
They flower and flourish for the most part in Iuly.
The names.
The first is called Coggygria and Coccygria: in English Venice Sumach, or Silken Sumach; of Plinie Cotinus in his sixteenth booke eighteenth chapter. There is (saith he) on mount Apenine a shrub, which is called Cotinus ad lineament modo Conchyly colore in signis, and yet ---- is Oleaster, or Olea sylvestris, the wilde Oliue tree, from which this shrub doth much differ; and therefore it may rightly be called Cotinus Coriaria: diuers would haue it named Scotinus, which name is not found in any of the old writers. The Pannonians do call it Farblauff. It is also thought that this shrub is Coccuria Plinÿ, of which in his 13. booke 22. chapter he writeth in these words, Coggygria is also like to Unedo[?] in leafe, not so great; it hath a propertie to lose the fruit by the downe, which thing happeneth to no other tree.
The temperature.
The leaues and slender branches togither with the seedes, are very much binding, cold and drie as the other kindes of Sumach are.
The vertues.
The leaues of Coggygria, or silken Sumach, are sold in the markets of Spaine and Italie for great summes of money, unto those that dresse Spanish skins, for which purpose they are very excellent.
The roote of Cotinus, as Anguillara noteth, serueth to die with, giuing to wooll and cloth a reddish colour, which Plinie knew, shweing that shrub (that is to say, the roote) is ad lineamenta modo Conchylij colore in signis.
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