ON THE THREE-COLORED VIOLET.

...shining with a threefold color, namely purple, yellow, and white or blue: by whose elegance and variety of colors they are most pleasing, since they possess little or no scent. On the top two small petals of the flower, and sometimes on the lower one, and occasionally even on the outermost part of the middle ones, the purple of the Purple Violet original: "Violæ nigræ" — literally 'black violet,' a common Renaissance term for the dark purple sweet violet shines back. On the middle ones for the most part, and not infrequently on the lower one, a white or blue color sits. Yellow not rarely occupies the lower petal or a large part of it, but always the center of the flower, with some small black rays running through it together. The seed is contained in small, rounded-oblong vessels seed capsules|the dry fruit that splits open to release seeds, the size of a bitter vetch original: "ochri", which follow the falling flowers and gape open of their own accord once the seed is mature. It rests upon fibrous roots. It comes up in many places in the fields: it grows also in gardens, and indeed frequently of its own accord, more beautiful and elegant than the wild variety. In spring it springs forth together with the Purple Violet or a little after; it blooms then through the whole of summer and the greatest part of Autumn, and occasionally even in winter.

IACEA is what it is called by many: yet there is also another iacea which is nicknamed the black variety. By others it is called Trinity herb original: "herba Trinitatis", on account of the triple color of the flower. To some it is the nail-herb original: "herba clauellata," possibly referring to the shape of its parts or its use in treating "clavi" (calluses). The French call the flowers pansies original: "pensees" — literally 'thoughts', which name is also known to the people of Brabant A historical region in the Low Countries and the neighboring Belgians. The Germans call it convulsion herb original: "Freyscham kraut" — a traditional name for plants used to treat "frights" or childhood seizures and Trinity flowers original: "Dreyefelticheyt blumen". It seems to agree with the phlox original: "φλογί" (phlogi) of Theophrastus An ancient Greek philosopher and the 'father of botany', which is also called flame or little flame original: "φλόξ ἢ φλόγιον" (phlox ē phlogion), and is a purely wild flower without scent. Emerging in spring together with the White Violet or a little after, and lasting for a very long time: which is the nature of this three-colored Violet, which as we have written, is wild and scentless by its nature, and blooms for a long duration. Flame or little flame, however, Gaza Theodorus Gaza, a 15th-century translator who helped rediscover Greek botanical texts interprets as the Flame violet original: "Violam flammeam".

THE QUALITY of the herb is cold in an obscure way, but more clearly moist, with a slow and sticky juice.