The Garden of p leaf ant Flowers. 341 



The Vcrtues. 



The Medica's are generally thought to feede catull t'.it inudi more then 

 the Medow Tretoile, or Clouer grafle, and therefore I haue known diuers 

 Gentlemen that haue plowed vp fome of their pafture grounds, and fowen 

 than with the (cedes of fome Medica's to make the experience. All the o- 

 thcr forts are pleafures to delight the curious, and not any way profitable 

 in I'hylicke that I know. 



CHAP. LXXX. 

 Paonia. Peonie. 



T! lore are two principall kindes of Peonie, that is to fay, the Male and the Fe- 

 male. Of the male kinde, I haue onely known one fort, but of the Female a 

 great many ; which are thus to be diltinguifhed. The Male his leafe is whole, 

 without any particular diuilion, notch or dent on the edge, & his rootes long & round, 

 diuided into many branches, fomewhat like to the rootes of Gentian or Elecampane, 

 and not tuberous at all. The Female of all forts hath the leaues diuided or cut in on the 

 edges, more or lefle, and hath alwaies tuberous rootes, that is, like clogs or Afphodill 

 rootes, with many great thick round peeces hanging, or growing at the end of fmaller 

 Itrings, and all ioyned to the toppe of the maine roote. 



i . Paonia mas. The Male Peonie. 



The Male Peonie rifeth vp with many brownifh ftalkes, whereon doe grow winged 

 leaues, that is, many faire greene, and fometimes reddilh leaues, one fet againrt another 

 vpon a Italke, without any particular diuilion in the leafe at all : the flowers ftand at 

 the toppes of the flalkes, confifting of fiue or fix broade leaues, of a faire purplifh red 

 colour, with many yellow threds in the middle, ftanding about the head, which after 

 rifeth to be the feede veflels, diuided into two, three or foure rough crooked pods like 

 homes, which when they are ful ripe, open and turn themfelues down one edge to an- 

 other hackeward, (hewing within them diuers round black mining feede, which are the 

 true leede, being full and good, and hauing alfo many red or crimfon graines, which are 

 lancke and idle, intermixed among the blacke, as if they were good feede, whereby it 

 maketh a very pretty (hew : the roots are great, thick and long, fpreading in the ground, 

 and running downe reafonable deepe. 







2 . Paonia famina vulgaris jiore Jimp lid. 

 The ordinary (ingle Female Peonie. 



This ordinary Female Peonie hath many ftalkes, with more ftore of leaues on them 

 en the Male kinde hath, the leaues alfo are not fo large, but diuided or nicked di- 

 erfly on the edges, fome with great and deepe, and others with fmaller cuts or diui- 

 fions, and of a darke or dead greene colour : the flowers are of a ftrong heady fent, 

 molt vfually fmaller then the male, and of a more purple tending to a murrey colour, 

 with yellow thrumes about the head in the middle, as the male kinde hnth : the heads 

 or homes with feed are like alfo but fmaller, the feede alfo is blacke, but lefle (hining : 

 the rootes conlift, as I faid, of many thicke and fhort tuberous clogs, fattened at the 

 ends of long firings, and all from the head of the roote, which is thicke and (hort, and 

 tuberous alfo, of the fame or the like fent with the male. 



3. Paonia famina -vulgaris Jiore pleno rubro. 

 The double red Peonie. 



This double Peonie as well as the former (ingle, is fo frequent in euerie 

 Garden of note, through euery Countrey, that it is almolt labour in vaine 



to 



