s 



F R I 



FRiTTi.f.A!tiA {Impcrialis) racemo comofo inferne nu- 



clo, tbliis inrcgcrrimis. Lin. Horc. Upllil. 82. Fritillary 

 ^j:ith a tufud htvtch of leaves over the flo-ivers^ ^ivhkh is 

 r.akcd Iclovo^ and entire leaves. Corona Imperialis. Dod. 

 Pcnipt. 202. Crown Imperial, 



9. Fri'i iLi.ARiA (Regia) racemo comofo infernc nudo, 

 foliis crcnacis. l.'m. Sp. Plant. 305. Fritillary ^jjith a 

 [lifted bunch of leaves over the flowers^ which is naked 

 i/elow, and crenated leaves. Corona regalis lilii folio 

 crenato. liort. Elch. 110. Royal Crovju with a crenated 



Lily leaf, 



10. Fritillaria {Aiituvmalis) racemo inferne nudo, 

 foliis oblongis mucronatis. Fritillary with a naked fialk^ 



and oblong -pointed leaves. 



The firtt fore grows naturally in Italy, and other 

 warm parts of Europe •, and from the feeds of this 

 there have been great varieties raifed in the gardens 

 of the florifts, which differ in the fize and colour of 

 their flowers ; and as there are frequently new va- 

 rieties produced, fo it would be to little purpofe to 

 enumerate thofe which are at prefent in the Englifli 

 and Dutch gardens, which amount to a great number 

 in the catalogues of the Dutch florifls, who are very 

 fond of any little diftindtion, either in the colour or 

 fliape, to enlarge their lifts. 



'The forts which are here enumerated, I think may 

 be allowed as diftinft fpecies, notwithftanding Dr. 

 Linnaeus has reduced them to five ; for I have railed 

 many of all the forts from feed, which have con- 

 flantly produced the fame as the feeds were taken 

 from, and have only differed in the colour or fize of 

 the flowers; for the fort with broad leaves produced 

 the fame fort again, and the umbellated and fpiked 

 forts produced the fame, though there are feveral va- 

 riet'cs in the colours of their flowers. 

 The firft hath a round compreflTed root, in fliape like 

 that of Cornflag, but is of a yellowilh white colour ; 

 the ftalk riles about fifteen inches high, having.three 

 or four narrow long leaves placed alternately, and 

 the top is divided into two {lender foot-ftalks which 

 turn downward, each fufl:aining one bell-fliaped in-' 

 verted flower, compofed of fix petals, which are che- 

 quered with purple and white like a chefs-board ; and 

 in the center is fituated a germen fupporting one 

 llyle, crowned by a trifid ftigma; the fix fl:amina 

 (Vand about the fl:yle, but are Ihorter. At the bottom 

 of each petal there is a cavity, in which is fituated a 

 neftarium, filled with a fweet liquor ; after the flower 

 is fallen, the germen fwells to a pretty large three- 

 cornered blunt capfule, and then the foot-fl-alk is 

 turned and ftands ercft; when the feeds are ripe, the 

 capfule opens in three parts and lets out the flat feeds, 

 which were ranged in a double order. The flowers 

 of this appear the latter end of March or beginning 

 of April, and the feeds are ripe in July. There is a 

 variety of this with a double flower. 

 The fecond fort grows naturally in France ; the leaves 

 of this are broader, and of a deeper green than the 

 former; the lov/er leaves are placed oppofite, but 

 thofe above are alternate-, the ftalk riles a foot and a 

 half high, and is terminated by two flowers of an ob- 

 fcure yellow colour, vrhich fpread more at the brim 

 than thofe of the firft fort, but are turned downward 

 in the fame manner. This flowers three weeks after 

 the firft. . There is a variety of this with greenilh 

 flowers, which grows naturally in fome parts of 

 England. • ' ' 



The third fort feldom rifes more than a foot high, 

 the leaves ar^ narrow like thofe of the firft fort, but 

 are fnorter; each ftalk is terminated by three or four 

 flowers, v^hich arife above each other; they are of a 

 very dark purple, chequered with yellowifli fpots. 

 This flowers in April, about the fame time with the 

 fecond. » 



The fourth fort rifes about a foot high, the ftalk is 

 garnifhed with fpear-ftiaped leaves four inches long 

 and one broad, of a grafs-green colour ; thefe are 

 fometlmcs placed oppofite, but are generally alter- 

 nate ; the ftalk is terminated by one large bell-fliaped 

 flower of a yellowifli colour, chequered with light 



F 



I 



le 



purple. This fort flowers about the fame time awl- 

 firft. There are two or tliree varieties of this uKi 7 

 differ in the fize and colour of their flowers and r' ! 

 breadth of their leaves, but retain their fpecific \'^ 

 fcrence, fo as to be eafily diilinguiflied from the oth^ 

 forts. ^ ^'" 



The fifth fort rifes a foot and a half high ; the flalt 

 is garniflied with fliorter and broader leaves than tl ' 

 firft fort, which are of a grayifli colour; the flowe 

 are produced round the ftalks like thofe of the Crow 

 Imperial ; they are of a dark purple colour che 

 quered with a yellowifli green. This flowers'abcut 

 the fame time with the fecond fort. 

 The fixth fort is commonly called the Perfian Lilv 

 and is fuppofed to grow naturally in Perfia, but has 

 been long cultivated in the Englifli gardens ; the root 

 of this fort is round and large, the ftalk rifes three 

 feet high ; the lower part of it is clofely garniihed 

 with leaves which are three inches long, and half an 

 inch broad, of a gray colour, ftanding on every fide 

 of the ftaiks, but are twifted obliquely; the fiowers 

 grow in a loofe fpike at the top of the ftalk, formin.o- 

 a pyramid ; they are fliaped like thofe of the other 

 fpecies, but are much fliorter, and fpread wider at 

 their brims, and are not bent downward like thofe. 



< ' 



They are of a dark purple colour, and appear in May 

 but are feldom fucceeded by feeds in England, fo arc 

 only propagated by offsets. 



The feventh fort hath a much fliorter ftalk than the 

 laft, but is garniflied with leaves like thofe, only they 

 are fmaller ; the ftalks bri.nrh out at the top into fe- 

 veml fmall foot-ftalks, each fuftainino; one dark co- 

 loured flower. This is commonly called the fmall 

 Perfian Lily, from its relcmblance to the former fort. 

 Thefe plants are propagated either by feeds, or ofT- 

 fets from the old roots ; by the firft of which methods 

 new varieties will be obtained, as alfo a larger ftock 

 of roots in three years, than can be obtained in twenty 

 or thirty years in the latter method : I fliall therefore 

 firft treat of their propagation by feeds. 



Having provided yourfelf with fome good feeds, 

 faved from the faireft flowers, you muft procure fome 

 fliallow pans or boxes, which muft have foiiw holes 

 in their bottoms to let out the moifture ; thefe you 

 fliould fill with light frefti earth, laying a fewpot- 

 flieards over the holes, to prevent the eafth from 

 flopping them ; then, having laid the earth very level 

 in the boxes, &c. you muft fow the feeds thereon 

 pretty thick, covering it with fine fifted earth a 

 quarter of an inch thick. The time for fowing the 

 feed is about the beg-innino; of Auo;uft, for if it be 

 kept much longer out of the ground it w^ill not grow; 

 then place the boxes or pans where they may have 

 the morning fun until eleven o'clock, obierving, if 

 the fcafon proves dry, to water them gently, as alfo 

 to pull up all weeds as fdon as they appear; for if 

 they are fuffered to remain until they have taken deep 

 root into the earth, they would draw the feeds out of 

 the ground whenever they are pulled up. ' Toward 

 the latter end of September you fliould remove the 

 boxes, &c. into a warmer fituation, placing them 

 clofe to a hedge or wall expofed to the fouth ; if they 

 are fown in pots, thefe fliould be plunged into the 

 ground, but they are beft in tubs ; thefe fliould be 

 covered in fevere froft. In this fituation they may 

 remain until the middle of March, by which time 

 the plants will be come up an inch high ; you mult 

 therefore remove the boxes, as the weather increafes 

 hot, into a more fliady fituation ; for while the plants 

 are young, they are liable to fuffer by being too much 

 -cxpofed to the fun : and in this ftiady fituation they 

 may remain during the heat of the fummer, obfcrving 

 to keep them clear from weeds, and to refrefli them 

 now and then with a little. moifture; but be careful 

 not to give them much water after their leaves- are 

 decayed, which would rot their roots. About the 

 beginning of Auguft, if the roots are very thick m 

 the boxes, you fliould prepare a bed of good light . 

 frefli earth, which muft be levelled very even, upon 



which you fliould fpread the earth in the boxes in 



which 



