Chap. 283. Englifh Herbs . 381 
which have narrow Leaves , it is round , or Onion 
like , covered with divers brown Skins , which feem 
to be rcplcat with long Threads , 7 //fc Hairs , especially 
at the /mail, or upper end of the Root, which thing 
you will not find in any of the f mailer Kinds . From 
this Root the Plant lprings up early, fometimes in 
January , with five or fix long Leaves, which are 
broad, yet narrow in companion of their length, 
and in refpefl to the other Kinds, alfo of a whitilh 
green color, crefted or ftraked on the backfide, and 
halt' round, being hollow, like a Trough or Gutter, 
white all along the infide of the Leaf’ and blunt at 
the end *, from among which riles up a thick round 
Stalk, a Foot and half^ or two Feet high, at the top 
whereof out of a skinny husk, comes forth one, and 
fometimes two Flowers, confifting of nine Leaves 
apiece, three of which that are turned downwards 
are larger and broader than the other, having in each 
of them a yellow fpot , about the middle of the 
Leaf’-, other three are fmall, hollow, ridged, or arch- 
ed, covering the lower part next the Stalk of thofe 
failing Leaves turning up their ends, which are di- 
vided into two parts-, the other three Hand upright, 
and are very fmall at the bottom of them, and broad- 
er towards the top ^ the whole Flower is of a fair 
blew Color : after the Flowers are paft, Heads three 
fquare come up, which are fomewhat long and lank, 
or loofe, containing within them round yellowifh 
Seed, which when it is ripe, will rattle by the fha- 
king of the Wind in the dry Husks. 
IV. The P laces. Lobel fays that this Blew broad 
Leav'd bulbous Flowerdeluce grows naturally in the 
Weft of England , whether this be true or ho, I know 
not, but of this I am certain, that it grows admira- 
bly well in our Climate ^ and as it js a beautiful 
Flower, fo by much Planting it, it is very much en- 
creafed^ and it grows common in moft Country 
Folks Gardens : it has alfo been found growing in 
Spain , and in France , by luch as have Travelled thro’ 
thofe Countries. 
V. The Times. It Flowers ufually in the end of 
May, or beginning of June, and the Seed is ripe 
in the end of July, or in Auguft. 
VI. Kota. Lobel calls this Plant Hyacinthus Po- 
et arum Flore Iridis, becaufe of its Hyacinth Color, 
but I think without any reafon for the fame^ it is 
truly an Iris or Flowerdeluce, and is called by fome 
Iris bulbofa major. Jive latifolia, to difference it from 
the leffer with narrow Leaves. 
CHAP. CCLXXXIII. 
Of FLOWERDELUCE 
Bulbed broad Leav’d. 
I. H E Names. It is called in Greek CokCo- 
<T » < 'rrarv'ipvAKtt, in Latin Iris bulbofa latifolia, 
in Englifh Broad Leav’d bulbous Flowerdeluce. 
II. Tfo Kinds. There are various forts hereof, 
viz. 1. Iris bulbofa major purpurea Lf pur pur eo Vi- 
ol ace a , The paler or deeper purple great bulbous 
Flowerdeluce. 2. Iris bulbofa major purpurea va- 
riegate, five ftriata , The great purple ftriped bul- 
bous Flowerdeluce. 3. Iris bulbofa ?najor Flore ru- 
bente. The great Peach colored bulbous Flowerde- 
luce. 4- Iris bulbofa major, five latifolia alba. The 
great white bulbous Flowerdeluce. 5. Iris bulbofa 
major alba variegata. The great white ftriped bul- 
bous flowerdeluce. 6 . Iris bulbofa major , five la- 
tifolia verficolor , The great party colored bulbous 
flowerdeluce. 
III. The Defcriptions. The fir ft, dr paler or 
deeper purple great Bulb, has a Root like the Hng- 
lilh in the former Chapter, nor differs from it in the 
Leaf -, the chiefelf difference is in the Flowers, which 
in this are fomewhat larger , and in the one of a 
deep Blew, or Violet Purple Color, in the other of 
a deep Purple Color, in all other refpe&s it is like 
to the former Eng/ifij : there is alfo another, in all 
things like to this, faving, that the Flower is of a 
pale Blew, or an Afh Color. 
, IV. The Jecond, or Great Purple Striped, has a 
purple Flower , but with fome Veins, or Stripes of a 
deeper Violet Color, Dario ufly running thro ’ the whole 
Leaves of the Flower. There is another of this fort, 
which is of a pale Blew or Aih Color, ftreaked with 
Lines and Veins of Purple in the Leaves of the Flow- 
ers, fome more, fome lefs than other. Another al- 
fo of a Purple Color, like to rhe firft , but that 
round about the yellow fpot in the middle of each 
of the three falling Leaves is of a pale Blue or A(h 
Color, the reft of die Leaf remaining Purple, as the 
other parts of the Flower are. 
V. The third, or Great Peach Colored, is more 
rare than any of the former, and not differing from 
them in Root, Leaf, or Flower, but only that the 
Flower in this is of a pale reddifh Purple Color, com- 
ing fome thing near to the Color of a Peach B'offom. 
VI. The fourth, or Great White, has a Root not 
differing from the others, but only greater, it fprings 
not up fo early out of the Ground as the Blew and 
Purple do , but about a Month or more after-, the 
Leaves are fomething larger and broader than the 
others -, the Stalk is thicker and fliorter, bearing u- 
fually two very large and great Flowers, one open- 
ing a little before the other, yet oftentimes both in 
Flower together in the end, and of a pale blewilh 
white Color, which is called a Silver Color while 
they are in the Bud, and before they are blown 0- 
pen, but then of a purer white, yet with an eye or 
(how of the Silver Color remaining in them ^ the 
three falling Leaves are very large, having that yel- 
low fpot in the middle of them after the Flowers 
are paft. Heads come forth like unto the Blew or 
Purple Kinds, but larger, containing Seed of a red- 
difh yellow color like them. 
VII. The fifth, or Great White Striped, is in Root, 
Leaf, and Flower , alfo in its manner of growing , 
like unto the laft Great White Flowerdeluce, it dif- 
fers only in the marking of the Flower, being vari- 
ous from it, for this has in the White Flower great 
Veins, Stripes, or Marks, of a Violet Blew, difper- 
fed thro’ the Leaves of the Flower varioufly, which 
adds a fuperexcellent beauty thereto. 
VIII. The fixth, or Great Party Colored, differs 
not from the laft , but in the F lower , which is of a 
whitifh color in the three falling Leaves , having a 
circle of Afh Color about the yellow fpot, the three 
ridged Leaves being whitifh, but ridged and edged 
with that Alh Color, and the three upright Leaves 
of a pale blewilh white Color, with fome Veins 
therein of a blewifli Purple : there are fome of this 
laft fort, in which more Varieties are to be feen 
than can eafily be expreft, or remembred, which va- 
riety, it is very probable, might come from the Sow- 
ing of the Seed in differing Soils, as has been truly 
obferved in other Plants. 
IX. The Places. They are all planted, and grow 
in our Englifh Gardens, where they thrive very 
well. 
X. The Times. They all Flower in the er.d of 
May , and in June , and the Seed is ripe in July and 
Auguft « 
C H A P. 
