4.58 The Garden of p leaf ant Flowers. 



CHAP. CXXXIII. 

 Gramina. Grafles. 



THere are among an infinite number (as I may fo fay) of Grafles, a few onely 

 which I thinke fit to be planted in this Garden, both for the rarity of them, 

 and alfo for your delight, and the excellent beauty that is in them aboue ma- 

 ny other plants. One of them hath long agoe bin ref peeled, and cherifhed in the coun- 

 try gardens of many Gentlewomen, and others. The others are knowne but vnto a few. 



i . Gramen Jlriatum. Painted Grafle or Ladies laces. 



This kinde of Graffe hath many ftiffe, hard, round ftalkes, full of ioynts, whereon 

 are fet at euery ioynt one long leafe, fomewhat broad at the bottome, where it com- 

 pafleth the ftalke, and fmaller to the end, where it is fharpe pointed, hard or rough in 

 handling, and ftriped all the length of the leafe with white ftreakes or lines, that they 

 feeme party coloured laces of white and greene : the tops of the ftalkes are furnifhed 

 with long fpikie tufts, like vnto the tufts of Couch Grafle : the rootes are fmall, white, 

 and threddy, like the rootes of other Grafles. 



2. Gramen Plumarium minus. The lefler Feather-Grafle. 





This lefler Feather-Grafle hath many fmall, round, and very long leaues or blades, 

 growing in tufts, much finer and fmaller then any other Grafle that I know, being al- 

 moft like vnto haires, and of a frefh greene colour in Summer, but changing into gray, 

 like old hay in Winter, being indeede all dead, and neuer reuiuing ; yet hardly to be 

 plucked away vntill the Spring, and then other greene leaues or rufhes rife vp by them, 

 and in their ftead, and are aboue a foote in length : from the middle of thef e tufts come 

 forth rounder and bigger rufhes, which are the ftalkes, and which haue a chaffie round 

 eare about the middle thereof, which when it is full growne, is fomewhat higher then 

 the toppes of the leaues or rufhes, opening it felfe (being before clofe) at the top, and 

 fhewing forth three or foure long ayles or beards, one aboue another, which bend 

 themfelues a little downewards (if they ftand ouer long before they are gathered, and 

 will fall off, and be blowne away with the winde) being fo finely feathered on both 

 fides, all the length of the beard, and of a pale or grayifh colour, that no feather in the 

 taile of the Bird of Paradife can be finer, or to be compared with them, hauing fticking 

 at the end of euery one of them, within the eare, a fmall, long, whitifh, round, hard, 

 and very fharpe pointed graine, like vnto an oaten graine, that part of the ftalke of the 

 feather that is next vnder it, and aboue the feede for fome two or three inches, being 

 ftiffe and hard, and twining or curling it felfe, if it be fuffered to ftand too long, or to 

 fall away, otherwife being ftraight as the feather it felfe : the roote is compofed of 

 many long, hard, fmall threddy ftrings, which runne deepe and far, and will not wil- 

 lingly be remoued, in that it gaineth ftrength euery yeare by ftanding. 



3. Gramen Plumarium maius. The greater Feather-Grafle. 



The greater Feather-Grafle is like vnto the lefler, but that both the leaues and the 

 feathers are greater, and nothing fo fine, grofler alfo, and of lefle beauty and refpecl, 

 though whiter then it ; and therefore is not fo much regarded : for I haue knowne, that 

 many Gentlewomen haue vfed the former lefler kinde, being tyed in tufts, to fet them 

 in ftead of feathers about their beds, where they haue lyen after childe-bearing, and at 

 other times alfo, when as they haue been much admired of the Ladies and Gentles that 

 haue come to vifit them. 



The Place. 



The firft of thefe Grafles, as Lobel faith, groweth naturally in the woods 

 and hils of Sauoy. It hath long agoe beene receiued into our Englifh gar- 

 dens. 



