24.2 The Garden of pleafant Flowers. 



CHAP. XXXV. 

 Primula veris & Paralyjis. Primrofes and Cowflips. 



^T T7TE haue fo great variety of Primrofes and Cowflips of our owne Country 

 \\/ breeding, that ftrangers being much delighted with them, haue beene 

 * * often furnifhed into diuers Countries, to their good content : And that I 

 may fet them downe in fome methodical! manner, as I haue done other things, I will 

 firft fet downe all the forts of thofe we call Primrofes, both fingle and double, and af- 

 terwards the Cowflips with their diuerfities, in as ample manner as my knowledge 

 can direcl: me. And yet I know, that the name of Primula veris or Primrofe, is indiffe- 

 rently conferred vpon thofe that I diftinguifh for Paralyfes or Cowflips. I doe there- 

 fore for your better vnderftanding of my diftinclion betweene Primrofes and Cow- 

 flips, call thofe onely Primrofes that carry but one flower vpon a ftalke, be they fingle 

 or double, except that of Mafter Hesket, and that with double flowers many vpon a 

 ftalke, fet out in Gerards Herball, which is his onely, not found (as I thinke) in rerum 

 natura, I am fure, fuch a one I could neuer heare of : And thofe Cowflips, that beare 

 many flowers vpon a ftalke together conftantly, be they fingle or double alfo. I might 

 otherwife diftinguifh them alfo by the leafe ; that all the Primrofes beare their long 

 and large broad yellowifh greene leaues, without ftalkes moft vfually ; and all the 

 Cowflips haue fmall ftalkes vnder the leaues, which are fmaller, and of a darker 

 greene, as vfually, but that this diftinclion is neither fo certaine and general!, nor fo 

 well knowne. 



i . Primula veris fare albo. The fingle white Primrofe. 



The Primrofe that groweth vnder euery bufh or hedge, in all or moft of the Woods, 

 Groues, and Orchards of this Kingdome, I may well leaue to his wilde habitation, 

 being not fo fit for a Garden, and fo well knowne, that I meane not to giue you any 

 further relation thereof : But we haue a kinde hereof which is fomewhat fmaller, and 

 beareth milke white flowers, without any fhew of yellownefle in them, and is more 

 vfually brought into Gardens for the rarity, and differeth not from the wilde or ordi- 

 nary kinde, either in roote or leafe, or any thing elfe, yet hauing thofe yellow fpots, 

 but fmaller, and not fo deepe, as are in the other wilde kinde. 



2. Primula veris Jlore viridi Jimp lid. The fingle greene Primrofe. 



The fingle greene Primrofe hath his leaues very like vnto the greater double Prim- 

 rofe, but fmaller, and of a fadder greene colour : the flowers ftand feuerally vpon long 

 foot-ftalkes, as the firft fingle kinde doth, but larger then they, and more laide open, 

 of the fame, or very neare the fame yellowifh greene colour that the huske is of, fo that 

 at the firft opening, the huske and the flower feeme to make one double greene flower, 

 which afterwards feparating themfelues, the fingle flower groweth aboue the huske, 

 and fpreadeth it felfe open much more then any other fingle Primrofe doth, growing 

 in the end to be of a paler greene colour. 



3. Primula veris fare viridante & albo Jimplici. 

 The fingle greene and white Primrofe. 



The leaues of this differ in a manner nothing from the former, neither doth the 

 flower but only in this, that out of the large yellowifh green huskes, which contain the 

 flowers of the former, there commeth forth out of the middle of each of them either 

 a fmall peece of a whitifh flower, or elfe a larger, fometimes making vp a whole flower, 

 like an ordinary Primrofe. 



4. Primula veris fare viridi duplici. The double greene Primrofe. 



This double Primrofe is in his leaues fo like the former fingle greene kindes, that 



the 



