46 The Garden of p leaf ant Flowers. 



ties of mixtures we haue feene and obferued in them, that fo they may be both the bet- 

 ter defcribed by me, and the better conceiued by others, and euery one placed in their 

 proper ranke. Yet I fhall in this, as I intend to doe in diuers other plants that are va- 

 riable, giue but one defcription in generall of the plant, and then fet downe the vari- 

 etie of forme or colour afterwards briefly by themfelues. 



Tulipa preecox. The early flowring Tulipa. 



The early Tulipa (and fo all other Tulipas) fpringeth out of the ground with his 

 leaues folded one within another, the firft or loweft leafe rifeth vp firft, fharpe poin- 

 ted, and folded round together, vntill it be an inch or two aboue the ground, which 

 then openeth it felfe, fhewing another leafe folded alfo in the bofome or belly of the 

 firft, which in time likewife opening it felfe, fheweth forth a third, and fometimes a 

 fourth and a fifth : the lower leaues are larger then the vpper, and are faire, thicke, 

 broad, long, and hollow like a gutter, and fometimes crumpled on the edges, which 

 will hold water that falleth thereon a long time, of a pale or whitifh greene colour, 

 (and the Medice and Serotina more greene) couered ouer as it were with a mealineffe or 

 hoarineffe, with an eye or fhew of redneffe towards the bottome of the leaues, and the 

 edges in this kinde being more notable white, which are two principall notes to know 

 a Pracox 'Tulipa from a Media or Serotina : the ftalke with the flower rifeth vp in the 

 middle, as it were through thefe leaues, which in time ftand one aboue another, com- 

 pafling it at certaine vnequall diftances, and is often obferued to bend it felfe crooked- 

 ly downe to the ground, as if it would thruft his head thereinto, but turning vp his 

 head (which will be the flower) againe, afterwards ftandeth vpright, fometimes but 

 three or foure fingers or inches high, but more often halfe a foote, and a foot high, but 

 the Medias, and Serotinas much higher, carrying (for the moft part) but one flower on 

 the toppe thereof, like vnto a Lilly for the forme, confifting of fixe leaues, greene at 

 the firft, and afterwards changing into diuers and fundry feuerall colours and varie- 

 ties, the bottomes likewife of the leaues of thefe fometimes, but moft efpecially of the 

 Medice, being as variable as the flower, which are in fome yellow, or green, or blacke, 

 in others white, blew, purple, or tawnie ; and fometimes one colour circling another : 

 fome of them haue little or no fent at all, and fome haue a better then others. After it 

 hath been blowne open three or foure dayes or more, it will in the heate of the Sunne 

 fpread it felfe open, and lay it felfe almoft flat to the ftalke : in the middle of the flower 

 ftandeth a greene long head (which will be the feed veflell) compaffed about with fixe 

 chiues, which doe much vary, in being fometimes of one, and fometimes of another 

 colour, tipt with pendents diuerfly varied likewife : the head in the middle of the 

 flower groweth after the flower is fallen, to be long, round, and edged, as it were 

 three fquare, the edges meeting at the toppe, where it is fmalleft, and making as it 

 were a crowne (which is not feen in the head of any Lilly) and when it is ripe, diuideth 

 it felfe on the infide into fixe rowes, of flat, thinne, brownifh, griftly feede, very like 

 vnto the feede of the Lillies, but brighter, ftiffer, and more tranfparent : the roote be- 

 ing well growne is round, and fomewhat great, fmall and pointed at the toppe, and 

 broader, yet roundifh at the bottome, with a certaine eminence or feate on the one 

 fide, as the roote of the Colchicum hath ; but not fo long, or great, it hath alfo an 

 hollownefTe on the one fide (if it haue borne a flower) where the ftalke grew, (for al- 

 though in the time of the firft fpringing vp, vntill it fhew the budde for flower, the 

 ftalke with the leaues thereon rife vp out of the middle of the roote ; yet when the 

 ftalke is rifen vp, and fheweth the budde for flower, it commeth to one fide, making 

 an impreflion therein) couered ouer with a brownifh thin coate or skin, like an Onion, 

 hauing a little woollinefTe at the bottome ; but white within, and firme, yet compofed 

 of many coates, one folding within another, as the roote of the Daffodils be, of a rea- 

 fonable good tafte, neyther very fweete, nor yet vnpleafant. This defcription may 

 well ferue for the other Tulipas, being Medias or Serotinas, concerning their fpringing 

 and bearing, which haue not any other great variety therein worth the note, which is 

 not exprefTed here ; the chiefe difference refting in the variety of the colours of the 

 flower, and their feuerall mixtures and markes, as I faid before : fauing onely, that the 

 flowers of fome are great and large, and of others frnaller, and the leaues of fome long 



and 



