Of the bastard Daffodils.

| | | |---|---| | 1 Pseudonarcissus luteus multiplex. | 2 Pseudonarcissus Anglicus & Hispanicus. | | Double yellow Daffodill. | Common yellow Daffodilly. |

The description.

1 The double yellow Daffodill hath small smooth narrow leaues, of a darke greene colour: among which riseth vp a naked hollow stalke, of two hands high: bearing at the top a faire and beautifull double yellow flower, as is the Marigolde, of a pleasing sweete smell. It sheadeth his flower, but there followeth no seed at all, as it hapneth in many other double flowers. The roote is small, bulbus or Onion fashion like vnto the other Daffodils, but much smaller. 2 The common yellow Daffodilly or Daffodowndilly is so well knowne to all, that it needeth no description. We haue in our London gardens another sort of this common kinde, which naturallie groweth in Spaine, very like vnto our best knowne Daffodil in shape and proportion, but altogither fairer, greater, and lasteth longer, before the flower doth fall or fade. 1 The Tulipa of Bolonia hath fat, thicke, and grosse leaues, hollow, forrowed or channeled, bending a little backward, & as it were folded togither: which at their first coming vp, seem to be of a reddish colour, and being throughly growen, turne into a whitish greene. In the midst of those leaues rise vp a naked fat stalk a foote high, or somthing more: on the top whereof standeth one or two yellow flowers, sometime three, or more, consisting of sixe small leaues, after a sort like to a deepe wide open cup, narrow aboue, and wide in the bottome. After it hath beene some fewe daies flowred, the points and brims of the flower turne backward, like a Dalmatian or Turkes cap, called Tulipan, Tolepan, Turban, and Turfan, whereof it tooke his name. The chiues or threads in the middle of the flowers, be sometime yellow, other whiles blackish or purplish, but commonly of one ouerworne colour or other, Nature seeming to plaie more with this flower, than any other that I do know. This flower is of a reasonable pleasant smell, and the other of his kinde haue little, or no smell at all. The seed is flat, smooth, shining, and of a griftly substance. The roote is Bulbose, and verie like to a common Onion of Saint Thomas. 2 The French Tulipa agreeth with the former, except in the blacke bottome which this hath in the middle of the flower, and is not so sweete in smell, which fetteth foorth the difference. | 3 Tulipa præcox tota lutea. | 4 Tulipa Coccinea serotina. | | :--- | :--- | | Timely flowring Tulipa. | Late flowring Tulipa. | 3 The yellow Tulipa that flowreth timely, hath thicke and groffe leaues, ful of iuice, long, hollow or gutter fashion, set about a tender stalke, at the top whereof doth grow a faire and pleasant shining yellow flower, consisting of sixe small leaues without smell. The roote is Bulbus or like an Onion. 4 The fourth kinde of Tulipa that flowreth later, hath leaues, stalkes, and roote like vnto the precedent. The flowers hereof be of a skarlet colour, welted or bordered about the edges with red. The middle part is like vnto a hart tending to whitenesse, spotted in the same whitenesse with red speckles or spots. The seed is conteined in square cods, flat, tough and sinewie. | 5 Tulipa media sanguinea albis oris. | 6 Tulipa Candida suaue rubentibus oris. | | :--- | :--- | | Apple bloome Tulipa. | Blush coloured Tulipa. | 5 The fift sort of Tulipa, which is neither of the timely ones, nor of the later flowring sort, but one that buddeth foorth his most beautifull flowres betweene both. It agreeth with the last described Tulipa, in leaues, stalkes, rootes, and seed, but different in flowers. The flower consisteth of sixe small leaues ioined togither at the bottome. The middle of which leaues, are of a pleasant bloody colour. The edges be bordered with white, and the bottome next vnto the stalke is likewise white. The whole flower resembling in colour the blossomes of an apple tree. 6 The sixt hath leaues, rootes, stalkes, and feed like vnto the former, but much greater in euerie point. The flowers hereof are white dasht about the brims or edges with a red or blush colour. The middle part is stripped confusedly with the same mixture wherein is the difference. 7 Carolus Clusius setteth foorth in his Pannonicke historie a kinde of Tulipa, that beareth faire red flowers, blacke in the bottome with a pestell in the middle, of an ouerworne greenish colour: of which sort there hapneth some to haue yellowe flowers, agreeing with the others before touched; but this bringeth foorth encrease of roote, in the bosome of his lowest leafe next vnto the stalke, contrarie to all the other kindes of Tulipa. 8 L'Obelius in his learned obseruations hath set foorth many other sorts, one he calleth Tulipa Calcidonica, or the Turkie Tulipa, saying it is the least of the smal kinds or dwarfe Tulipaes, whose flower is of a sanguine red colour, vpon a yellow ground, agreeing with the others in roote, leafe and stalke. 9 He hath likewise set foorth another, his flower is like the Lillie in proportion, but in colour of a fine purple. 10 We may also behold another sort altogether greater than any of the rest, whose flower is in colour of the stone called Amethist, not vnlike the flowers of Pæonie. 11 We haue likewise another of great beautie, and verie much desired of all, with white flowers dasht on the backside, with a light wash of watchet colour. 12 There is another also in our London gardens, of a snow white colour: the edges sleightly washt ouer with a little of that we call blush colour. 13 We haue another like the former, sauing that his flower is of a straw colour. 14 There is another to be seene with a flower mixed with strakes of red and yellowe, resembling a flambe of fire, whereupon we haue called it Flambant. There be likewise so many more differing so notably in colour of their flowers, although in leaues, stalke and rootes, for the most part one like another, that as I saide before, to speake of them seuerally, would require a peculiar volume. There be a sort greater than the rest, which in forme are like; the leaues whereof are thicke, long broade, now and then somewhat folded in the edges, in the middest whereof doth rise vp a stalke a foote high or somthing higher, vpon which standeth onely one flower bolt vpright, consisting of sixe leaues, like after a sort to a deepe wide cup of this forme, videl. the bottome turned vpwards, with threds or chiues in the middle, of the colour of saffron. The colour of the flower is sometimes yellow, oftentimes white, now and then as it were of a light purple, and many times red: and in this there is no small varietie of colours: for the edges of the leaues, and oftentimes the nailes or lower part of the leaues are now and then otherwise coloured than the leaues themselues; & manie times there doth run all along these strakes some other colours. They haue no smell at all which can be perceiued. The rootes of these are likewise bulbed or Onion fashion. Euery of the which seuerally to set foorth would trouble the writer and weary the Reader, so that it shall suffice what hath been saide, as touching the description of Tulipaes.

The place.

The double yellow Daffodill I receiued from Robinus of Paris, which he procured by meanes of friends from Aurelia, and other parts of Fraunce. The yellow English Daffodill groweth almost euery where through England. The yellow Spanish Daffodill doth likewise decke vp our London gardens where they increase infinitely. Tulipa groweth wilde in Thracia, Cappadocia, Italie; in Bizantia about Constantinople, at Tripolis, and Alepo in Syria, from whence I haue receiued plants for my garden, and likewise Master Garth a worshipfull gentleman, and Master Iames Garret apothecarie also for their gardens, where they florish and increase, as in their owne natiue countrey.

The time.

The double Daffodill sendeth foorth his leaues in the beginning of Februarie, and his flowers in Aprill. and Serotina, the one doth beare his flowers timely, the other later: to these two, we will adde a third sort called Media, flowing betweene both the others. And from these three sorts, as from their heads, all other kinds do proceede, which are almost infinite in number. Notwithstanding my louing freind Master Iames Garret, a curious searcher of Simples, and learned Apothecarie in London, hath vndertaken to finde out if it were possible, the infinite sorts by diligent sowing of their seedes, and by planting those of his owne propagation, and by others receiued from his friends beyond the seas, for the space of twentie yeeres not being yet able to attaine to the end of his trauaile, for that each new yeere bringeth foorth new plants of sundrie colours not before seene: all which to describe particularlie, were to roule Sisyphus stone, or number the sandes: so that it shall suffice to speak & describe a few, referring the rest to fom that meane to write of Tulipa a particular volume. They flower from the end of February vnto the beginning of Maie and somewhat after: although Angerius Busbequius in his iourney to Constantinople, sawe betweene Hadrianopolis and Constantinople, great abundance of them in flower euery where, euen in the middest of winter in the month of Ianuarie, which that warme and temperate climate may seeme to performe.

The names.

The later Herbaristes by a Turkish and strange name call it Tulipa of the Dalmatian Cap called Tulipa, the forme whereof the flower when it is open seemeth to represent. It is called in English after the Turkish name Tulipa, or it may be called Dalmatian Cap, or the Turkes Cap: what name the old writers gaue it, it is not certainly knowne. A man might suspect it to be πιονίον, if it were a Bulbe that might be eaten & were of force to make milke cruddie: for Theophrastus reckoneth it among the Bulbes that may be eaten: and it is an herbe as Hesychius saith wherwith milke is crudded. Conradus Gesnerus hath taken Tulipa to be Satyrium, which is surnamed Erythronium, that bicause one kinde hath a red flower, or altogether a certaine kinde of Satyrium, with which whether it doth agree or no, and how far, we leaue to those that will more diligently consider of it by the description of the Satyriens: in the Turkie toong it is called Café lalé, Cauale lalé, and likewise Turban and Turfan, of the Turkes Cap so called, as aforesaid of L'Obelius.

The vertues.

There hath not been any thing set downe of the ancient or later writers as touching the nature or vertues of the Tulipaes, but are esteemed especially for the beautie of their flowers.