The Garden of p leaf ant Flowers. 



moneths, our Gardens are furnifhed with the varietie of one fort or ano- 

 ther : the rell in Autumne, that fo they might procure the more delight, in 

 yeelding their beauty both early and late, when fcarce any other flowers 

 are found to adorne them. 



The Names. 



I fhall not neede to trouble you with an idle tale of the name of Crocus, 

 which were to little purpofe, nor to reiterate the former names impofed 

 vpon them ; let it fuffice that the fitteft names are giuen them, that may di- 

 ftinguifh them one from another ; onely this I mult giue you to vnderftand, 

 that the gold yellow Crocus or Saffron flower, is the true Crocus Maejiacus, as 

 I (hewed before ; and that neither the yellow ftript, or cloth of gold (which 

 wee fo call after the Dutch name Gaud Lakeri) is the true Mcejiacus, as fome 

 fuppofe ; and that the great white Saffron flower, by reafon of his likeneffe 

 vnto the gold yellow, is called Crocus albus Meejiaci facie, or facie lutei, that 

 is, The white Saffron flower that is like the Mcejiacus or yellow. 



The Vertues. 



The true Saffron (for the others are of no vfe) which wee call Englifh 

 Saffron, is of very great vfe both for inward and outward difeafes, and is 

 very cordiall, vfed to expell any hurtfull or venomous vapours from the 

 heart, both in the fmall Pockes, Meafels, Plague, laundife, and many other 

 difeafes, as alfo to ftrengthen and comfort any cold or weake members. 



CHAP. XVIII. 

 Sifynnchium. The Spanifh Nut. 



I Can doe no otherwife then make a peculiar Chapter of this plant, becaufe it is 

 neither a Crocus, although in the roote it come fomewhat neare vnto that kinde that 

 is netted ; but in no other part agreeing with any the delineaments of a Saffron 

 flower, and therefore could not be thruft into the Chapter amongft them : neither can 

 I place it in the forefront of the Chapter of the Iris bulbofa, or bulbous Flowerdeluces, 

 becaufe it doth not belong to that Family : and although the flower thereof doth moft 

 refemble a Flowerdeluce, yet in that no other parts thereof doe fitly agree thereunto, 

 I haue rather chofen to feate it by it felfe betweene them both, as partaking of both 

 natures, and fo may ferue in ftead of a bridge, to paffe from the one to the other, that 

 is, from the Crocus or Saffron flower, to the Iris bulbofa or bulbous rooted Flowerde- 

 luce, which fhall follow in the next Chapter by themfelues. 



The Spanifh Nut hath two long and narrow, foft and fmooth greene leaues, lying 

 for the moft part vpon the ground, and fometimes ftanding vp, yet bending downe- 

 wards ; betweene thefe leaues rifeth vp a fmall ftalke, halfe a foote high, hauing diuers 

 fmooth foft greene leaues vpon it, as if they were skinnes, through which the ftalke 

 pafTeth ; at the toppe whereof ftand diuers flowers, riling one after another, and not 

 all flowring at once : for feldome fhall you haue aboue one flower blowne at a time, 

 each whereof doth fo quickly paffe and fade away, that one may well fay, that it is but 

 one dayes flower, or rather the flower of a few houres : the flower it felfe hath nine 

 leaues, like vnto a Flowerdeluce, whereof the three that fall downe, haue in each of 

 them a yellow fpot : the other three, which in the Flowerdeluces are hollow and 

 ridged, couering the other three that fall downe, in this ftand vpright, and are parted 

 at the ends : the three that ftand vp in the middle are fmall and fhort : the whole flower 

 is fmaller then any Flowerdeluce, but of fundry colours ; for fome are of an excellent 

 skie colour blew, others of a Violet purple, others of a darker purple colour, and fome 

 white, and many others mixed, either pale blew and deepe purple, or white and blew 



mixed 



