Moonwort - The English Physitian

Moonwort

Description.  It riseth up usually but with one dark, green, dock and flat leaf, stand up upon a short foot stalk not above two fingers breadth; but when it flowers it may be said to bear a small slender stalk about four or five inches high, having but one leaf in the middle thereof, which is much divided on both sides into sometimes five or seven parts on a side, sometimes more each of which parts is small like the middle rib, but broad forwards, pointed and round, resembling therein a half moon, from whence it took the name; the uppermost parts or divisions being bigger than the lowest. The stalks rise above this leaf two or three inches, bearing many branches of small long tongues, every one like the spiky head of the adders tongue, of a brownish colour, (which, whether I shall call them flowers, or the seed, I well know not,) which alter they have continued a while, resolve into a mealy dust. The root is small and fibrous. This hath sometimes divers such like leaves as are before described, with so many branches or tops rising from one stalk, each divided from the other.

Place.  It groweth on hills and heaths, yet where there is much grass, for therein it delighteth to grow.

Time.  It is to be found only in April and May; for in June, when any hot weather cometh, for the most part it is withered and gone.

Government and Virtues.  The moon owns the herb. Moonwort is cold and drying more than adders tongue, and is therefore held to be more available for all wounds, both inward and outward. The leaves boiled in white wine, and drank, stay the immoderate flux of women’s courses, and the whites. It also stayeth bleeding. vomiting, and other fluxes. It helpeth all blows and bruises, and to consolidate all fractures and dislocations. It is good for ruptures, but is chiefly used by most with other herbs to make oils or balsams to heal fresh or green wounds, (as I said before,) either inward or outward, for which it is excellent good.

Moonwort is an herb which (they say) will open locks, and unshoe such horses as tread upon it. This some laugh to scorn, and those no small fools neither; but country people that I know call it unshoe the horse. Besides, I have heard commanders say, that on White Down in Devonshire, near Tiverton, there were found thirty horse shoes, pulled off from the feet of the earl of Essex’s horses, being there drawn up in a body, many of them being but newly shod, and no reason known, which caused much admiration: and the herb described usually grows upon heaths.

N.B. - Housenote: Botrychium lunaria