17 6 
The (garden of pleafant Flowers. 
The Time. 
Thefe doe flower vfually in the end of Miy , or beginning of Iune , and 
their fcede is ripe in the end of Iuly or Auguft. 
The Names. 
Lobelcalleth the firftEnglifh blew Flowerdeluce, Hyacinthus Pott arum 
flare Iridis, dr propter Hyacinthinum color cm, id eft violaceum diflus : but I know 
notanygreatgoodgroundforit, more then the very colour; for it is nei- 
ther of the forme of a Lilly, neither hathitthofe mourning markes imprin- 
ted in it, which the Poetfainethtobeein his Hyacinth. It is moft rruely 
called an Iris , or Flowcrdeluce (and there is great difference betvveene a 
Lilly and a Flo werdeluce, f or the formes of their flowers) becau fe it anfwe- 
reth thereunto very exactly, for the flower,and is therefore called vfually by 
moft, either Iris bulbofa Anglia , or Irisbulboja nuior flue LtifolU , for a diffe- 
rence beeweene it, and the leffcr with narrow leaues: In Englilh, eyther 
The great Englilh bulbous Flowerdeluce, or the great broad leafed bul- 
bous Flowerdeluce, which you will, adding the other name, according to 
the colour. 
And thus much for thefe broad leafed bulbous Flowerdeluces, fo much as hath 
come to our knowledge. Nowtothefeuerall varieties of the narrow leafed bulbous 
Flowerdeluces, fo much likewife as we haue been acquainted with. 
Iris bulbofa minor flue anguflifolia alba. 
T he fmaller white or narrow leafed bulbous Flo werdeluce. 
This firft Flowerdeluce, which beareth the fmaller flower of the two white ones, 
that are here to bee deferibed , fpringeth out of the ground alwaies before Winter, 
which after breaketh forth into foure or fiue fmall and narrow leaues, a foote long or 
more, ofawhitilh greene on the infide, which is hollow and chanalled , and of a 
blewilh greene colour on the outfidc , and round withall : the ftalke of this kinde is 
longer and flenderer then the former , with fome Ihorter leaues vpon it , at the toppe 
whereof, out of fhort skinny leaues, ftand one or two flowers, fmaller, Ihorter, and 
rounder then the flowers of the former broad leafed Flowerdeluces , but made after 
the fame proportion with nine leaues , three falling downewards, with a yellow fpor 
in the middle, other thrccare made like a long arch , which couer the lower part next 
the ftalke ofthofc falling leaues, and turnevp at the ends of them, where theyaredi- 
uided into two parts : the otherthreeftand vprighr, betvveene each of the three falling 
leaues , being fomewhat long and narrow : the flower is wholly (fauing the yellow 
fpot ) of a pure white colour, yet in fome hauing a fhew of fome blew throughout, and 
in others towards thebottomeof the three vpright leaues : ufterthe flowers are part, 
there rife vpfo many long cods or feede veflels, as there were flowers, which are 
longer and fmaller then in the former, and a little bending like a Cornet, with three 
round fquares, and round pointed alfo, which diuiding it felfc when the feede is ripe 
into three parts , doe (hew fix feuerall cells or places, wherein is contained fuch like 
round reddifli yellow feedes, but Imallerthcn the former theiroote is fmaller and 
fhorter then the former, and without any haires or threads, couered with browne thi« 
skinnes, and more plentifull in giuing encreafe. 
Iris bulbofa anguflifolia alba flore maiore. 
The greater white narrow leafed bulbous Flowerdeluce. 
I (hall not neede to make a feuerall defeription to euery one of thefe Flowerdeluces 
that follow, for that were but to makeoften repetition of one thing, which being once 
done,asitis, may well ferue to exprefic all the reft, andbutonely toaddetheefpe- 
ciall 
