240 FLORA HISTORICA. 



PERSIAN FRITILLARY, or PERSIAN 

 LILY. Fritillaria Persica. 



This flower was known in Europe about three years 

 prior to the introduction of the Crown Imperial, 

 and was an inhabitant of the London gardens in 

 the time of Gerard. Parkinson tells us that " it 

 •was first brought from Persia into Constantinople, 

 and from thence sent unto us by the means of 

 divers Turkie merchants, and in especial, by the 

 procurement of Mr. Nicholas Lete, a worthy mer- 

 chant, and a lover of all fair flowers." Clusius 

 informs us that it was sent into the Low-Countries 

 under the name of Susam giul 9 from which name 

 he supposed it to be an indigenous plant of Susis 

 in Persia, and he therefore named it Lilium Su- 

 sianum. 



The bulb of this plant sends up a stem about 

 three feet in height, on which the purple corollas 

 are loosely hung, like bells, in a pyramidical form ; 

 and as we have but few elevated purple flowers that 

 blossom in May, it is a desirable flower to mix 

 in many situations of the garden, where it requires 

 a light earth and a warm situation. This bulb is 

 frequently planted in pots for the house, and the 



