434 ^e Garden of p leaf ant Flowers. 



CHAP. CXVII. 



Tuca Jiue lucca. The fuppofed Indian lucca. 



THis rare Indian plant hath a great thicke tuberous roote (fpreading in time in- 

 to many tuberous heads) from the head whereof fhooteth forth many long, 

 hard, and guttured leaues, very marpe pointed, compaffing as it were one an- 

 other at the bottome, of a grayifh greene colour, which doe not fall away, but abide 

 euer greene on the plant ; from the middle whereof fpringeth forth (now and then, 

 but not euery yeare) a ftrong round ftalke, diuided into diuers branches, whereon 

 (land diuers white, and fomewhat large flowers, hanging downe their heads, confi- 

 ding of fix leaues, with diuers veines, of a weake reddifh or blufh colour, fpread on the 

 backe of the three outer leaues, efpecially from the middle of the leaues to the bot- 

 tome, and not rifing to the edge of the leafe of any flower, which fall away without 

 bearing any feede in our Country, as farre as euer could be obferued either in the plant 

 that Mafter Gerard kept a long time by him, or by Robinus at Paris his plant, which 

 Mafter Gerard fent vnto him, or yet by that plant, that Vefpafian Robin the fonne of 

 old Robin fent vnto Mafter lohn de Franqueuille, and now abideth and flourifheth in 

 my Garden. 



The Place. 



It was firft brought into England (as Mafter Gerard faith) from the Weft 

 Indies, by a feruant of Mafter Thomas Edwards, an Apothecary of Exeter, 

 and imparted to him, who kept it vnto his death : but perifhed with him 

 that got it from his widow, intending to fend it to his Country houfe. 



The Time. 



It flowreth not vntill luly, and the flowers fall away fodainely, after 

 they haue beene blowne open a while. 



The Names. 



Mafter Gerard firft as I thinke called it lucca, fuppofing it to bee the true 

 Tuca of Theuet, wherewith the Indians make bread, called CaJJTana : but the 

 true lucca is defcribed to haue a leafe diuided into feuen or nine parts, which 

 this hath not : Yet not knowing by what better name to call it, let it hold 

 ftill his firft impofition, vntill a fitter may be giuen it. 



The Vertues. 



Wee haue not heard of any, that hath either read, heard, or experimen- 

 ted the faculties hereof, nor yet whether it hath good or euill tafte ; for be- 

 ing rare, and poflefled but by a few, they that haue it are loth to cut any 

 thereof, for feare of fpoiling and lofing the whole roote. 



Some haue affirmed, that in fome parts of Turkic, where as they fay this 

 plant groweth, they make a kinde of cloth from the threads are found run- 

 ning through the leaues ; but I finde the threads are fo ftrong and hard, that 

 this cannot be that plant the relators meane is vfed in that manner. 



CHAP. 



