258 BULBS A^D TUBEROUS-BOOTED PLANTS. 



PLANTIA. 



A small genus of Cape bulbs now included in Hexa- 

 glottis, Page 337. 



POLIANTHES TUBEROSA. 



Tuberose. 



Everyone who has a garden, or a taste for flowers, 

 knows the Tuberose. Its history, however, may not be 

 known. D. F. Fish, in his book on "Bulbs and their 

 Culture," says it is a native of Italy. In Nicholson's 

 "Dictionary of Gardening/' Mexico has the honor of 

 its nativity. Two species make up the genus. 



In Parkinson's quaint old book, "The Garden of 

 Pleasant Flowers," published in 1629, we find the follow- 

 ing description of it, under its then known name of 

 Hyacinth, with which it was classed : " Hyacinthus 

 Indicus major tuber osa radice, ' the greater Indian 

 Knobbed Jacinth.' I have thought fittest to begin with 

 this Jacinth (Hyacinth), both because it is the greatest 

 and highest, and also because the flowers herof are in 

 some likenesse neare unto a Daffodille, although his 

 roote be tuberous, and not bulbous, as the rest are. 

 This Indian Jacinth hath a thicke knobbed roote (yet 

 formed into several heads, somewhat like unto bulbous 

 roots), with many thick fibres at the bottom of them ; 

 from the divers heads of this roote arise divers strong 

 and very tall stalkes, beset with divers faire, long and 

 broad leaves, joined at the bottome close unto the stalk, 

 where they are the greatest, and smaller to the very end, 

 and those that grow higher to the toppe, being smaller 

 and smaller. The toppes of the stalkes are garnished 

 with many faire, large, white flowers, each wherof is 

 composed of six leaves, lying spread open as the flowers 

 of the white Daffodil, with some short threads in the 

 middle, and of a very sweet scent, or rather strong and 

 heades." 



