232 FLORA HISTORICA, 



since the flower-buds so much resemble those of 

 the Single Larkspur. 



Gerard describes this plant as long back as 

 1596, calling it a " goodly and stately plant, 

 having leaves like the greatest v^illow or ozier. 

 The branches come out of the ground in great 

 number, growing to the height of sixe foote, 

 garnished with braue flowers of greate beautie, 

 consisting of fower leaues a-peece, of an orient 

 purple colour." He adds, " it groweth in York- 

 shire, in a place called the Hooke, neere vnto a 

 close called the Cow-pasture, from whence I had 

 these plants, which do grow in my garden very 

 goodly to behold, for the decking vp of houses 

 and gardens ;" but he does not mention its having 

 been found in any other part of this island. 



As it is upon Mr. Miller's authority principally 

 that later botanical writers have considered this 

 plant to be indigenous to England, we shall no- 

 tice what he has said upon the subject, and which 

 v^e think rather contradicts the idea than supports 

 it. In his first edition of " The Gardener's and 

 Florist's Dictionary," which was published in 

 1724, he writes of this plant, under the title of 

 the French Willow only, and does not insinuate 

 that it grew naturally in this country ; but ob- 

 serves, " If these plants be planted in wilderness 

 works, they will soon overspread the ground, 



