The (jar den of pie a f ant timers. 
\.Or»itbegdnm Mum vstiftlium.The white ftarre-flowcr with one blade. •• 
This little ftarre-flower I bring into this place, asthefitteft in my opinion where to 
J ilace it, vntill my mind e change to alter it. It hatha very finall round white roote, 
rom whence fpringeth vp one very long and round grecne lcafe, like vnto a ru(h, but 
that for about two or three inches aboue the ground, it is a little flat , and from thence 
fpringeth forth a fmall ftalke not aboue three or fourc inches high , bearing at the top 
thereof three or foure fmall white flowers , confiding of fix leaues a peece , within 
which are fix white chiues , tipt with yellow pendents , {landing about a fmall three 
fquarc head, that hath a white pointdl flicking as it were in the middeft thereof : the 
flower ispretty and fweete, but not heady. 
Oruithigulum luteum. The yellow Starre of Bethlehem. 
This yellow Starre-flower rifeth vp at the firft,with one long, round, greeniih leafe, 
which opencth itfelfefomewhat aboue the ground, and giueth out another fmall 
leafe, Idler and (horter then the firft , and afterward the ftalke rifeth from thence alfo, 
being foure or fine inches high, bearing at the toppe three or foure fmall green leaues, 
and among them foure or fiue fmall yellow ftarre-like flowers, with a greeniih line or 
ftreake downe the backcofeuery leafe, and fome finall reddifti yellow threeds in the 
middle: it fcldome giueth feede : the roote is round , whitifii, andfomewhatcleare, 
very apt to perifti, if it bee any little while kept dry out of the ground , as I hauc twice 
trycdtomyloflc. 
The Place. 
The firft grew in Portugall, and Clufius firft of all others defeiphers ir. 
The other is found in many places both of Germany and Hungary, in the 
moiftcr grounds. i 
The Time. 
The firft flowreth in May : the other in Aprill, and fometimes in March, 
The Names. 
Garolus Clufius callcth the firft Bulbus vnif olios, or ® «Hint, but referreth 
it not to the ftocke or kindred of any plant ; but (as you fee) I haue ranked it 
with the fmall forts of Orssithtgdlum, andgiueitthename accordingly. 
The other is referred for likenefle of forme, and not for colour, vnto the 
Orssiihtgdld, or Starres of Bethlehem. Itiscalledby Tragus and Fuchfius 
Bulbas fslutftris, becaufe of the obuioufnefTc. Cordus taketh it to be Sifyrin- 
tbium. Lacuna calleth it Bulbs* efculeutus. Lobel and others inthefedayes 
generally y Oruitbogdlum luteum, and wee thereafter in Englifh, The yellow 
Starre- flower ,or Starre of Bethlehem. 
TheVertues. 
The firft kinde being but lately found out, is not knoWne to be vfed. The 
rootesof the commoner vulgar, are (as Matthiolus faith) much eaten by 
poore people in Italy, cither rawe or roafted, being fweeter in tafte then 
anyChefnut, andferuingaswellfora|neceflaiy food as for delight. It is 
doubtfull whether any of the reft may be fo vfed ; for I know not any in our 
Land hath made any experience. 
There are many other forts of Starre-flowers , which are fitter for a generali then 
this Hiftory j aud therefore I referre them thereunto. 
Chap. 
