23Z FLORA HISTORICA. 



back as the time of Queen Elizabeth. He tells us 

 the seed was given him by Lord Edward Zouche; 

 and he describes the flower, saying, *' I can compare 

 the shape thereof to nothing so fitly as to the velvet 

 head of a stagge, compact of such soft matter as is 

 the same, but of a deepe purple colour." 



The Three-coloured Amaranth, Tricolor, is also 

 a native of the East Indies, which we can trace 

 back in our gardens to the year 1596, under the 

 name of Floramor and Passeuelours ; and as this 

 species has always been cultivated more on accounj^ 

 of its three-coloured foliage than for its flowers, we 

 cannot forbear extracting the description which 

 Gerard gives of this plant, since he was the first 

 who cultivated it in this country. ** It farre ex- 

 ceedeth my skil to describe the beautie and excel- 

 lencie of this rare plant, called Floramore ; and I 

 thinke the pensill of the most curious painter will 

 be at a stale when he shall come to set him downe 

 in his liuely colours : but to colour it after my best 

 manner, this I saie. In his leaues doth consist his 

 beautie ; for in fewe words, euery leafe doth resem- 

 ble in colours the most faire and beautifull feather 

 of a Parrat, especially those feathers that are mixed 

 with most sundrie colours, as a stripe of red, and a 

 line of yellow, a dashe of white, and a ribbe of 

 greene colour, which I cannot with words set 

 foorth, such is the sundrie mixtures of colours that 



