48 On the Cultivation of the Polianthes Tuberosa. 



noticing, that his figure of the plant appears evidently to 

 have been made up from the original specimen sent by 

 Bernard Paludanus, and one of those growing roots, 

 which he expressly mentions did not flower ; he concludes 

 with observing, that if it is still to remain in the genus, it 

 may be called Hyacinthus Indicus tuberosa radice. 



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

 Tuberose, and the more accurate French name, Tubereuse, 

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

 poetical title of Sandal Malam, 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 



Soon after L'Ecluse's figure, an excellent one by Vallet 

 the embroiderer came out at Paris in 1608, and both these 

 were copied and published as different species by Swertius 

 in his Florilegium. An original figure, which has great merit 

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

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

 liest, bears the date of 1622 ; it shows many roots flowering in 

 one pot. From Ferrari us* pompous book on the culture of 

 flowers, we learn it was still regarded as a rarity in the Bar- 

 berini gardens, at Rome, in 1633, but that it increased abun- 

 dantly, 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 described by I/Ecluse, 

 i.-s 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 does him little credit; he makes 

 two species of it, saying he thinks L'Ecluse never saw the 

 first, though he owns " some do doubt that they are not two 



