z8o The (jar den of pleafant Flowers. 
heads, pointed at the end, greene at the firft, and a little yellower when they bee ripe, 
containing within them fmall round blackifh (cede, which will fooneskippe out of 
the heads, ifthey be but a little hardly preffed betweene the fingers : the rootes f pread 
themfelues vnder ground very much from the toppe, with a number of fmall fibres an- 
nexed thereunto : this is a very tender plant, dying euery yeare , and muft bee fowne 
carefully in a pot of earth, and tended and watered in the heatc of Summer, and all 
little enough to bring it to perfection. 
The Place. 
Wee haue alwaies had the feedeof this plant lentvsoutofltaly, not 
knowing his originali place. 
The Time. 
It flowreth from the middle of Iuly,to the end of Auguft : the feed doth 
feldome ripen with vs, cfpecially ifthe Summer be backward , fo that wee 
are oftentimes to feeke for new and good feede from our friends againe. 
The Names. 
Some vfe to call it char ant U faemina, tal/hmina famina , BalftmeRa , and 
AngaiUara, Herba SancU Kathanna. We haue no other Englilh name to call 
it by, then the Female Balfame Apple, or Balfamma. 
TheVcrtues. 
Some by reafon of the name, Would attribute the property of Balme vn- 
to this plant, but it is not fufficiently knowne to haue any fuch ; yet I am 
well perfwaded , there may bee fome extradinary quality in fo bcautifull a 
plant, which yet lycth hid from vs. 
* 
Chap. LI. 
Nasi art 'tam latitant. Indian Creflcs, or yellow Larkes hecles. 
T He likenefle (as I faid before) of this flower likewile, hauing fpurres or hecles 
maketh me ioync it with the reft , which is of fo great beauty and fweetnelfc 
withall,that my Garden of delightcannot bee vnfurniihed of it. Thisfairc 
plant fpreadeth it felfc into very many long tray ling branches, cnterkced one within 
anothervery confuledly (yet doth itnotwindeitlelfewithany clafpers about either 
pole or any other thing, but if you will haue it abide clofe thereunto, you mufttye it,or 
clfe it will lye vpon the ground/foure orfiue foot in length atthe leaft , wherbyitta- 
keth vp a great deale of ground : the leaues are fmooth, greene, and as round as the 
Penniwort that groweth on the ground , without any cut or incifure therein at all 
in any part, theftalkes whereof ftand in the middle of eachleafe, and (land at e- 
uery ioynt ofthe ftalke, where they are a little reddidi, and knobbed or bunched out : 
the flowers are ofan excellent gold yellow colour, and grow all along thefe (hikes, 
almoftat euery ioynt with the leaues, vpon pretty long foote- (hikes, which are com- 
pofed of fiue leaues , not hollow or gaping, but (landing open each leafe apart by it 
felfe, two of them, that be larger and longer then the other, (land aboue,and the other 
two that are lefler belowe, which are a little iagged or bearded on both fides , and the 
fift lowed: in the middle of each ofthe three lower leaues Cyerfomctimesitisbut in 
two of them) there is a little long fpot or ftreake, ofan excellent crimfon colour, with 
a long heele or fpurre behinde hanging downe: the whole flower hath a fine fmall 
lent, very pleafing, which being placed in the middle of fome Carnations or Gillo- 
flowers 
