# History of Monsters. 683

Hawkweeds (*Hieracia*) are closely related to sow-thistles and chicory; therefore, authors typically proceed to weigh the various species of hawkweed after discussing the history of those other two. Dioscorides calls this plant *hierakion*, after the hawk, which the Greeks call *hierax*. Following the Greek lead, Latin writers have termed the plant *Hieracium* or *Accipitrina* because, as Pliny observed, hawks dispel the dimness of their eyes by touching them with the leaves of this plant. Furthermore, some Greeks call this herb *songites*, since it does not differ from the nature and properties of the sow-thistle, as was noted shortly before.

In the passage cited, Dioscorides assigns two species to this plant—the Great and the Small Hawkweed—though many more species are observed in our own age. Indeed, Bauhin, in his *Phytopinax*, enumerated more than twenty species. Thus, the *Hieracium maius* of Mattioli, Fuchs, Dodonaeus, and Lobel—also known as the *Hieracium magnum* of Cesalpino, the *Taraxacon maius* of Lonicer, and the *Hieracium minus* of Dalechamps in the *Lyon Herbarium*—are all one and the same. It grows everywhere in uncultivated places, with leaves not unlike the sow-thistle or chicory, a slender stem, and yellow flowers that eventually turn to down and fly off into the air. In places saturated with manure, this plant often becomes monstrous due to the abundance of matter and richness of nourishment, as can be seen in Illustration VI. There, the plant appears to have produced an extremely thick stem; deviating from the natural form of hawkweeds, it approaches the stem of the female Balsam, which is thick, fleshy, and pregnant with sap.

To this we wish to add the Broom (*Genista*), which has a broad and monstrous stem created by a wandering of Nature. This plant, called *Genista* by Mattioli, the "long-leaved reed broom" by Bauhin, "Italian broom" by Dodonaeus, "the other broom with a round trunk" by Cesalpino, "Transalpine or Spanish broom" by Camerarius, and *Spartium* or *Spartum* by Gesner and Lobel, grows with somewhat long leaves, almost like those of flax, and produces yellow flowers that mimic the shape of a new moon.

Regarding this, Mesue listed Broom among the mountain shrubs, reporting that many straight, flexible branches that resist breaking erupt from its root, bearing yellow, moon-shaped flowers; when these fall, they are succeeded by pods the size of vetch pods, containing seeds similar to lentils and separated by certain intervals.

Having set this forth, we can understand that the Broom we present here is monstrous, since the stem is not reed-like but remarkably broad and deformed, as shown in Figure VII.

Some years ago, we noted a similar occurrence in a common Narcissus growing in the public garden, which produced a very wide stem with some leaves fused to it. Likewise, we contemplated a Wild Garlic (*Allium ursinum*) there with an exceptionally broad, white stem; the illustrations of these plants will be presented for inspection in the *General History of Plants*.

Furthermore, we have discovered a certain species of Stock (*Leucoium*) that is monstrous by reason of its stem. To understand this plant’s defect, one must first note that Stock is either bulbous or non-bulbous. At present, we are speaking of the non-bulbous Stock, which Dioscorides calls *leukoion*, or the White Violet—not because every plant of this kind produces white flowers, but because of its leaves, which are usually whitish. The flowers themselves vary, being found in blue, white, purple, and yellow, although Pliny knew only white and yellow violets.

Thus, the Yellow Stock is the one that produces yellow flowers and is commended for medicine by Dioscorides. This is divided into garden and wild varieties. The garden variety is manifold; the first is called the "common yellow stock with green leaves" by Bauhin, "golden stock" by Mattioli, "yellow stock" by Fuchs, "yellow violet" by Bock, *Keiri* by Gesner, and "small yellow violet" by Tabernaemontanus. Another species is called *Keiri maximum*, and its likeness can be seen in the *Hortus Eystettensis*, as this plant is adorned with very large yellow flowers. Finally, the double-flowered *Keiri*, which Lobel called *Keiri duplici flore*, now grows everywhere in flower gardens.

Similarly, two types of Wild *Keiri* are found, characterized by narrower leaves and small flowers,