172 The Garden of pleafant Flowers. 



CHAP. XIX. 

 Iris bulbofa. The bulbous Flowerdeluce. 



THe Flowerdeluces that haue bulbous rootes are of two forts, the one^greater 

 then the other : the greater bearing larger and broader leaues and flowers, and 

 the leffer narrower. But before I giue you the defcriptions of the vfuall grea- 

 ter kindes, I muft needes place one or two in the fore-front that haue no fellowes ; the 

 one is called of Clufius, his broad leafed Flowerdeluce, and the other a Perfian, fome- 

 what like vnto it, which although they differ notably from the reft, yet they haue the 

 neareft refemblance vnto thofe greater kindes, that come next after them. 



Iris bulbofa prima latifolia Clujij. 

 Clufius his firft great bulbous Flowerdeluce. 



This Flowerdeluce hath diuers long and broad leaues, not ftiffe, like all the other, 

 but foft and greenifh on the vpperfide, and whitifh vnderneath ; among which rife vp 

 fometimes feuerall fmall, fhort, flender ftalkes, and fometimes but one, not aboue 

 halfe a foote high, bearing at the top one flower a peece, fomewhat like vnto a Flow- 

 erdeluce, confiding of nine leaues, whereof thofe three that ftand vpright, are fhorter 

 and more clofed together, then in other forts of Flowerdeluces ; the other three that 

 fall downe, turne vp their ends a little, and thofe three, that in other Flowerdeluces 

 doe couer them at the bottome, ftand like the vpright leaues of other Flowerdeluces, 

 but are parted into two ends, like vnto two fmall eares : the whole flower is of a faire 

 blew, or pale skie colour in moft, with a long ftripe in the middle of each of the three 

 falling leaues, and in fome white, but more feldome : the roote is reafonable great, 

 round and white, vnder the blackifh coates wherewith it is couered, hauing many 

 long thicke white rootes in ftead of fibres, which make them feeme to be Afphodill 

 rootes. The flower is very fweete. . 



Iris bulbofa Perjica. The Perfian bulbous Flowerdeluce. 



This Perfian Flowerdeluce is fomewhat like vnto the former, both in roote and in 

 leafe, but that the leaues are fhorter and narrower, and the flower being much about 

 the fame fafhion, is of a pale blew rufletifh colour, each of the three lower falling 

 leaues are almoft wholly of a browne purple colour, with a yellow fpot in the middle 

 of them : this as it is very rare, fo it feldome beareth flowers with vs. 



The Place. 



The firft groweth in many places of Spaine and Portugall, from whence 

 I and others haue often had it for our Gardens, but by reafon of the tender- 

 neffe thereof, it doth hardly endure the fharpneffe of our cold Winters, vn- 

 lefle it be carefully preferued. 



The other is faid to come from Perfia, and therefore it is fo entituled, 

 and is as tender to be kept as the other. 



The Time. 



The firft flowreth moft vfually not vntill May with vs, yet many times 

 fooner : but in January and February, as Clufius faith, in the naturall pla- 

 ces thereof. 



The other is as early oftentimes when it doth flower with vs. 



The Names. 



Becaufe Clufius by good iudgement referreth the firft to the greater 



kindes 



