5J| CULTURE OP THE TUBEROSE. 



, serving, that if it is still to remain in the genus, it may be 

 called hyacinthtis Indicus tuherosd radice. 



From this latin phrase, no doubt, our silly appellation of 

 tuberose, and the more accurate French name, tubereuse, ori- 

 ginated ; but in the East Indies it is distinguished by the 

 poetical title oi saiidal maluin, or intriguer of the night ; in 

 Spain, where at the period of this plant's being discovered it 

 was the fashion to give both places and things religious names, 

 it is called vara de S. Josef. 



Sooii after I'Ecluse's figure, an excellent one by Vall^t 

 the embroiderer came out at Paris in 16O8, and both these 

 were copied and published as different species, by Swertius, 

 in his Florilegium. An original figure, which has great me- 

 rit for that day, though not equal to Vallct's, next appeared 

 in the Theatrum Florae, my edition of which, I believe the 

 earliest, bears the date of l622 ; it shows many roots flow- 

 ering in one pot. From Ferrarius's pompous book on the 

 culture of fjovvers, we learn it was still regarded as a rarity 

 in the Barberini gardens, at Rome, in l633, but that it in- 

 creased abundantly, and was taken out of the ground every 

 year in March, to separate the offsets. Our countryman 

 Parkinson, more than half a century after its being first de- 

 scribed by I'Ecluse, js the next author who treats of this 

 plant ; but valuable as many of his quaint observations still 

 are to the horticulturist, his account of the tuberose dots him 

 little credit; he makes two species of it, sajing, he thinks 

 I'Ecluse never saw the first, though he owjis ** some do 

 doubt that they are not two plants several as of greater and 

 Jfesscr, but that the greatness is caused by the fertility of th? 

 soilj" his figures are wretchedly copied frem Swertius, and 

 by his calling it the Indian knobbed jticinth, it appears not tp 



BauWn. have been known here then by its modern name. Gaspar 



Bauhin, with his usual carelessness, also takes it up as twp 



Ray, species frgm Swertiiiis, and even the learned Ray seems to 



have known as )ittle about \t in I693, adflingj however, to 

 his second species, the title of tuberose. 



Miller. i meet with nothing rnofe pf any consequence respecting 



it, till Philip Miller, the pride of every British gardener^ 

 pubjibhed the fifbt edition of his Dictionary in 1731. He 



make? 



Or'gin of the 

 name. 



Fast Indian 



J'lgvires of it. 



Vallet. 

 Swertius. 



Fenarius. 



Parkinson. 



