278 The Garden of p leaf ant Flowers. 



leaues vpon it that grow belowe, but not diuided, branching out into many fmall 

 ftalkes, bearing flowers like vnto the wilde Larkes heeles, but fmaller, and of a bleake 

 blewifh colour, which being pall, there come vp two or three fmall cods ioyned toge- 

 ther, wherein is blacke feede, fmaller and rounder then any of the former : the roote is 

 fmall and thready, quickly perifhing with the firft cold that ouertaketh the plant. 



The Place. 



The greateft or firft wilde kindes growe among corne in many countries 

 beyond the Seas, and where corne hath beene fowne, and for his beauty 

 brought and nourifhed in our Gardens : the leffer wilde kinde in fome fields 

 of our owne Country. The Spanifh kinde likewife in the like places, which 

 I had among many feedes that Guillaume Boel brought mee out of Spaine. 

 The firft double and fingle haue been common for many yeares in all coun- 

 tries of this Land, but the tall or vpright fingle kindes haue been entertained 

 but of late yeares. The double kindes are more rare. 



The Time. 



Thefe flower in the Summer onely, but the Spanifh wilde kinde flowreth 

 very late, fo that oftentimes in our Country, the Winter taketh it before it 

 can giue ripe feede : the double kindes, as well the vpright as the ordinary 

 or wilde, are very choife and dainty many times, not yeelding good feede. 



The Names. 



They are called diuerfly by diuers Writers, as Confolida regu/is, Calcaris 

 Jtos ; Flos regius, Buccinum Romanorum, and of Matthiolus, Cumin urn Jiluejlre 

 alterum Diofcoridis : but the moft vfuall name with vs is Delphinium : but 

 whether it be the true Delphinium of Diofcorides, or the Poets Hyacinth, or 

 the flower of Aiax, another place is fitter to difcufTe then this. Wee call 

 them in Englifh Larkes heeles, Larkes fpurres, Larkes toes or clawes, and 

 Monkes hoods. The laft or Spanifh kinde came to mee vnder the name of 

 Delphinium latifolium trigonum, fo ftiled eyther from the diuifion of the 

 leaues, or from the pods, which come vfually three together. Bauhinus vp- 

 on Matthiolus calleth it, Confolida regalis peregrina par uo fare. 



The Vertues. 



There is no vfe of any of thefe in Phyficke in thefe dayes that I know, but 

 are wholly fpent for their flowers fake. 



CHAP. L. 



Balfamina fatmina. The Female Balfam Apple. 



IHaue let this plant in this place, for fome likenefTe of the flower, rather then for 

 any other comparifon, euen as I muft alfo with the next that followeth. This plant 

 rifeth vp with a thicke round reddifh ftalke, with great and bunched ioynts, being 

 tender and full of iuice, much like to the ftalke of Purflane, but much greater, which 

 brancheth it felfe forth from the very ground, into many ftalkes, bearing thereon ma- 

 nie long greene leaues, fnipt about the edges, very like vnto the Almond or Peach tree 

 leaues ; among which from the middle of the ftalkes vpwards round about them, 

 come forth vpon feuerall fmall fhort foot-ftalkes many faire purplifh flowers, of two 

 or three colours in them, fafhioned fomewhat like the former Larkes heeles, or Monks 

 hoods, but that they are larger open at the mouth, and the fpurres behinde crooke or 

 bend downewards : after the flowers are paft, there come in their places round rough 



heads, 



