Of Flower de-luce of Florence.

| 1 Iris Florentina. | 2 Iris alba. | | :--- | :--- | | Flower de-luce of Florence. | White Flower de-luce. |

The description.

1 The Flower de-luce of Florence, whose rootes in shops and generally euery where, are called Ireos, or Orice, (whereof sweete waters, sweete powders, and such like are made,) is altogether like vnto the common Flower de-luce, sauing that the flowers of this Ireos is of a white colour, and the rootes exceeding sweete of smell, and the other of no smell at all. 2 The white Flower de-luce is like vnto the Florentine Flower de-luce in rootes, flaggie leaues and stalkes, but they differ in that, that this Iris hath his flower of a bleake white colour, declining to yellownes, and the rootes haue not any smell at all; but the other is very sweete, as we haue said. 3 The great Flower de-luce of Dalmatia, hath leaues much broader, thicker and more closely compact together then any of the other, and set in order like wings, or the fins of a whale fish, greene toward the top, and of a shining purple colour toward the bottome, euen to the ground: among which riseth vp a stalke of fower foote high, as my selfe did measure oft in my garden: whereupon doth grow faire large flowers, of a light blew, or (as we terme it) a watchet colour. The flowers do smell exceeding sweete, much like the Orenge flower. The seedes are conteined in square cods, wherein are packt togither many such flat seedes like the former. The roote hath no smell at all. 4 The small Flower de-luce of Dalmatia is in shew like to the precedent, but rather resembling Iris Biflora, being both of one stature, small and dwarfe plants in respect of the greater. The flowers be of a more blew colour. They flower likewise in May as the others do, but beware that yee neuer cast any colde water vpon them presently taken out of a well: for their tendernes is such that they will wither immediately, and rot away, as I my selfe haue prooued: but those which I left at the same time vnwatred, liue and prosper to this day. 5 Iris Bifora. Twife flowring Flower de-luce. <column-break/> 6 Iris Violacea. Violet Flower de-luce. <column-break/> 7 Iris Pannonica. Portingale Flower de-luce. <column-break/> 8 Iris Camerarij. Germane Flower de-luce. 5 This kinde of Flower de-luce came first from Portingale to vs. It bringeth foorth in the spring time flowers of a purple or violet colour, smelling like a violet, with a white hairie welt downe the middle. The roote is thicke and short, stubborne or harde to breake. In leaues and shew it is like to the lesser Flower de-luce of Dalmatia, but the leaues be more spred abroad, and it commonly hath but one flower vpon one stalke, which in Autumne flowreth againe, and bringeth foorth the like flowers, for which cause it was called Iris biflora. 6 Iris violacea is like vnto the former, but much smaller, and the flower is of a more deepe violet colour. 7 Carolus Clusius, that excellent and learned father of Herbarists, hath set foorth in his pannonick Epitome the picture of this beautifull Flower de-luce, with great broad leaues, thicke and fat, of a purple colour neere vnto the ground, like the great Dalmatian Flower de-luce, which it doth verie well resemble. The roote is very sweete when it is drie, and striueth with the Florentine Iris in sweetness. The flower is of all the other most confusedly mixed with sundry colours, insomuch that my pen cannot set downe euery line or streake as it deserueth. The three leaues that stande vpright do claspe or embrace one another, and are of a yellow colour. The leaues that looke downewarde about the edges, are of a pale colour, the middle part of white, mixed with a line of purple, and hath many small purple lines stripped ouer the said white flower, euen to the brim of the pale coloured edge. It smelleth like the Hawthorne flowers, being lightly smelled vnto. 8 The Germaine Flower de-luce, which Camerarius hath set foorth in his booke named Hortus Medicus, hath great thicke and knobby rootes: the stalke is thicke and full of iuice: the leaues be verie broad in respect of all the rest of Flower de-luces. The flower groweth at the top of the stalke, consisting of sixe great leaues, blew of colour, welted downe the middle, with white tending to yellowe, at the bottome next the stalke it is white of colour, with some yellownes fringed about the saide white, as also about the brims or edges, which setteth foorth greatly his beautie, the which Ioachimus Camerarius, the sonne of old Camerarius of Nuremberg, had sent him out of Hungarie, and did communicate one of the plants thereof vnto Clusius, whose figure he hath most liuely set foorth with this description; differing somewhat from that, that Ioachimus himselfe did giue vnto me at his being in London. The leaues saith he, are very large, twise so broad as any of the others. The stalke is single and smooth, the flower groweth at the top of a most bright shining blew colour, the middle rib tending to whitenes, the three vpper leaues somewhat yellowish. The roote is likewise sweete as Ireos.

The place.

These kindes of Flower de-luces do growe wilde in Dalmatia, Goritia and Piedmont; notwithstanding our London gardens are very well stored with euery one of them.

The time.

Their time of flowring answereth the other Flower de-luces.

The names.

The Dalmatian Flower de-luce is called in Greek of Athenæus & Theophrastus ἶρις: it is named also ὐρις, of the Heauenly bowe, or Rainbow: vpō the same occasion θαυμαστὸς, or Admirable: for the Poets sometime do call the Rainbowe θαυμαστίαν: in Latin Iris, and in English Flower de-luce. Their seuerall titles do sufficiently distinguish them, whereby they may be knowen one from another.

The temperature.

The nature of these Flower de-luces are answerable to those of the common kinde, that is to say, the drie rootes are hot and drie in the latter end of the second degree.

The vertues.

The iuice of these Flower de-luces doth not onely mightily and vehemently draw foorth choler, but most especially watrish humors, and is a singular good purgation for them that haue the dropsie, if it be drunke in sweete woort or whay. The same is good for them that haue euill spleenes, or that are troubled with cramps or conuulsions, and for such as are bit with serpents. It profiteth also much those that haue the Gonorrhey or running of the raines, being drunke with vineger as Dioscorides saith: and drunke with wine they bring downe the monethly termes.