o 



N 



T 



■ - 



y J 



ftalks which faftain them become ereft, and approach 

 near the ftak. The feeds ripen in Auguft. 

 The fecond fort grows naturally upon the hills in Por- 

 tugal and Spain, but has been long cultivated in the 

 Enf^lift gardens by the title of the Star of Bethlehem. 

 This hath a very large, oval, bulbous root, from 

 ■■ -which arife feveral long keel-fhaped leaves of a dark 

 areen colour, in the middle of which come out a 

 naked ftalk which rifes near three feet high, termi- 

 nated by along conical fpike of white flowers, (land- 

 ing upon pretty long foot-ftalks, rifing one above ano- 

 j ther in an upright fpike. Thefe appear in June, and are 

 fuccceded by roundilli feed-veflels, having three cells 

 \ filled with roundifh feeds, which ripen in Augufl:. 

 *The third fort grows naturally in Arabia j this hath a 

 very large bulbous root, from which come out feve- 

 ' ■ ral broad fword-fhaped leaves, which fpread on the 

 * ground ; the ftalk is thick and ftrong, rifing between 

 , two and three feet high, bearing a long fpike of large 

 white flowers, ftanding upon long foot-ftalks. _ They 

 ,x are compofed of fix petals which fpread open in form 

 of a ftar, and appear in June, but do not ripen their 

 feeds in England. '' ' ... 

 The fourth fort grows in great abundance naturally in 

 the kingdom of Naples, and is now become almoft as 

 common in England, for the roots propagate ib faft 

 by offsets and feeds, as to become troublefome weeds 

 'in gardens ; and in many places where the roots have 

 been thrown out of gardens, they have grown upon 

 dunghills and in wafte places as plentifully as 

 weeds. This hath a pretty large, compreffed, bul- 

 bous root, frqni which come out many long, narrow, 

 keel-fliaped leaves, of a dark green colour^ .JThe 

 ftalks are very thick and fucculent, rifing about a 

 Ibbt high, fuftaining ten br twelve flowers in a loofe 

 ipike, each hang-ing on a foot-ftalk an, inch long ; 

 they are composed of fix petals, which are white 

 within, but of a grayifh green on their outfide, hav- 

 ing no fcent ; within the petals is fituated the bell- 

 Ihaped neftarium, compofed of fix leaves, out of 

 . ' ^which arife the fix ftamina, terminated by yellow fum- 

 ^ 'mts. The flowers appear in April,' and are fucceeded 

 '\ by large, roundifli, three-cornered capfules, which 

 are filled with roundifli feeds 5 as the capfules grow 

 large, they are fo heavy as to weigh the ftalk to the 





R N 



although the leaves are put our before winter. * Thef^ 



c 



and 



roots are frequently brought over frcm Italy for fah% 

 but I have not heard of any having flowered j 

 Clufius fays, he never faw but one root flower, 

 that came from Conftantinopi 



and 



The ninth fort grows naturally at the Cape of Good 

 Hope; tliis hath an irregular tuberous root, varyin^^ 

 greatly in form and fi^^e, covered with a dark brown 

 fkin, from which anfe feveral oval hcart-fiiaocd 

 leaves, upon pretty long foot-ftalks ; they have fe- 

 veral longitudinal veins like Ribwort Plantain. Tlie 

 flower-ftalks are flender, naked, and rife about a 

 foot hio;h, fuftaining feveral fmall, greenifli, white 







t '-,*' 



ground. 



Tl^ fixth fort hath fmall bulbous rootp not larger 

 "than Peas, from which arife one or two narrow keel- 

 f Ihaped leaves about five Tnches long, of a grayifti c6- 

 ^^ lour ; the ftalk is angular, an3 rifes about four incll'es 



high, having two narrow keel-fhaped leaves juft be- 

 ; low the flowers, which are difpofed in an um.bel upon 



tranchincT foot-ftalks ; thefe are yellow withiii, but of 



flowers, formed in a loofe fpike, ftanding upon Ion 

 flender foot-ftalks.^' They* come out in November, 

 making but little appearance, and ar.e hot fucceeded 

 by feeds in England. .' • ..;/"' 

 The tenth fortgrov/s naturallyontne dry rocks at the 

 Cape of Good Hope ; "this hath a large, deprefle'd^ 

 bulbous root, as big as a man's fift, covered with an 

 uneven brown fl^in, putting out feveral japerjiollow 

 leaves 'nine or' ten inches long, between, v/hich comes 

 forth a naked ftalk near a foot high, terminated by a • 

 loofe fpike of yellow flov/ers, of ari'agrecable fweet 

 fcent. It fl.owers in May, but does pro'duce feeds in 



Enc^lana. : ' ' - - • 



The three forts firft mentioned, are 'cultivated for or- 

 nament in the Englifli gardens. ■' Thefe arc propa- 

 ated by ofi^sets, which their^ roots commonly pro- 

 Lice'in great plenty. The Seft time to tranfplant 

 ^ their roots .is in July or Auguft, wHen tKeir leaves are 

 ^V^d.ecayed ; for if they are removed latc,^. \ii autumn^ 

 their fibres will be fliot out, when they will be very ' 

 apt to fuffer if difturbed.^-.They ftiould Kave a lio-ht 

 Tandy foil, but \\ muft not be over dungedr T^e 

 maybe intermixed with other bulbous-rooted fiovverL 

 ' m the borders of the pleafure-garden^ where they will 

 afford an agi-eeable variety! Their roots need not be- 

 tranfplanted oftener than every'"other'yeaf , for if they 

 are taken up every year, they will, not increafe {o 

 faft \ but when they are fuflered to remain too long 

 .^- linremoved, they will have fo 'many 'offsets' abouc 

 " XKcrp^as to .weaken their blowing roots. "Thefe may 

 -. alfo be propagated from feeds, which ftiould be fowa 

 . and managed as ruoft other bulbous-rooted flowers* 

 " and" will produce their flowers three or four years 'af- 

 :., terfowing. . . ■ . % ^ 



_,^ The fourth fort is fcarce worthy of a place irt gatden^J^ 

 but as it will thrive in any fituation or under trees, io\ 

 a few plants may be admitted in obfcure places foi ' 

 the fake of yariety. 



'J .. 



'-. t ■'" 



■' : 



^.a purplilh green on their outfide.- They appear in 



" May, and are fucceeded by Tmall triangular capfules, 

 ; filled with reddifti uneven feeds. It grows on the bor- 

 ders of cultivated fields in France and Germany. 



A-' 



.it 



; The fevehth fort grows naturally in moft parts of Eu- 

 Jcpcj; and is fuppofed to do fo in England, though it 

 IS feldpm found here, unlefs in orchards or grqunds 

 wliere the roots may have been planted, or thrown out 



, pf gardens with rubbifti. jThis hath a bulb 'as large 



The fifth fort has not much beauty, therefore a fe\^/' 

 roots of it will be enough fpr variety, as alfo of the 

 fixth and feventh forts ; the two laft will thrive iii 

 ftiade, but the fifth Ihpuld have an open fituaffon.''^ ;_ 

 ^The eighth fort multiplies fo faft by offsets from thd- 

 roots. as to become troublefome weeds in a garden, . 

 .■ for ^e very fmairrpbt will grow, and in two years pro- 

 "duce twenty or thirty more ^ . fo that ugkfs the large 

 roots are taken up every year and divefted of their 

 1 oiTsets, the borders will be over-run with them. 



-«^ ^'^ 



as a fmall Onion,* to which ' adhere many fmall off'- 



/ets : the leaves are long, narrow, and keel-ftiaped, 



Spreading on the ground, and have a longitudinal 



"White line through the hollow. ''.^The ftalk rifes aEout 



• fix inches high, fuftaining an umbel of flowers which 

 are white within, but hav^ broad gr^en,ftripes on the 

 outfide of the petals ;tfiefe ftand upon long fo9t7 

 ftalks, which rife above the principal ftalk. It flowers 

 in April and May, and is fucceeded by rdundifti 

 three-cornered capfules filled with angular feeds, which 

 ripen in July. - '- . "^ ^% ' 



The eighth fort grows naturally in Arabia i this hath 

 ^ large bulbous foot, from which arife many long 



/keel-ftapcd leaves,''Wliich embrace each oth^r with 

 their bafe ; they are of a deep green, and ftand ered. 

 The flowers of this kind IJ^aye^iever yetfeen, though 

 I have tried Ynany^ways to procure them : the roots 

 multiply exceedingly, and are never injured by froft, | 



The" ninth fort' is^tod fender "to thrive in the ^peii ■ 



air in England, fothe roots of this Ihould be planted 



i^". in pots filled with light earth,, and in the autumn 



"^ placed under a hot-bed frame, where they may be 



■ fcreened from froft, and in mild weather enjoy tlie . 



Vfree air. The leaves qf this appear in the autumn^ 



^_^.and continue growing all. the wigter, io muft not be 



J expofed to froft ; nor fliould they be drawn up weak, 



' ^' for then the flowers will be few on 'a llalk, and riot- 



Tar 





* 



Tjf the *poTs (15 how an3 then i^pceive a'^gende 



' Ihower Qf rain jn, winter. it, >vill be fufEcient, fqr they 

 '^ifiipuld not have much wet during tha^ feafon.* To- 

 : ward the Semmuno: of July tlie leaves'and ftalks 'de- 



the 



and 



n tlie "roots may be taken up, layii^g' 

 c6blplgi.ce till, t^e^.^pd of Auguft, when! 





cay, 



- them in a dry 



they muft be planted again. ■ -' 



The Other fpecies which were incluued in thisgenus^ 

 ; are now removed to Scilla!! - . . ,. ,.. -' :' 



O R N t' 



^'JS*t*^* -^ , ,^ V'* ^ -^ ' t-r4' HT tf , -'th^^ x^ 



- - - f -■ 



9 0* 



^_ H 



I 



-^ 



-4 



- S 



I « 



*, - 



-^ ' V'M- 



y^ 



> ' ■ 



< ,' 



