Lib. i. 
5 ° 
Of the Hiftorie of Plants. 
^y Thedefcription. 
1 '"p He common Floure de-luce hath long and large flaggy leaues like the blade of a 
A fword,wlth two edges, amongft which fpring vp finooth and plaine ftalkes two foot 
long, bearing floures toward thetop,compaftof fix leaues ioyned together, whereof three that 
Hand vpright ate bent inward one toward another ; and in thofe leaues that hang downward there 
are certaine rough or hairie welts, growing or riling from the nether part of the leafe vpward, al- 
nioft ofa yellow colour. The roots be thicke,long, and knobby, with many hairy threds hanging 
thereat. 
2 The water Floure de-luce, or Water flag, or Ballard Acorns, is like vnto the gardenFloure 
de-luce in roots, leaues, and ftalkes, but the leaues are muchdonger, fometimes of the height of 
fourc cubits, and altogether narrower. The floure is ofa perfeifl. yellow colour, and the Root 
knobby like the other • but being cut, it feemeth to be of the colour of raw flefh. 
1 / /t ■ , ; * '->< hnsnst ■ 
Floure de-luce. 
4 '-it 
2 Iris 
Water-flags, or Floure de-luce. 
7 he face. 
The Water Floure de-luce or yellow flag profpereth well in moill rnedows, and in the borders 
and brinks of riuers, ponds, and Handing lakes. And although it be a water plant ol nature , yet 
being planted in gardens it profpereth well. 
^y the names. 
Floure de-luce is called in Greekc te»- 1 ^itheneut and Theopbrajltu reade;^: as though they 
fhould fay, Confecratrix ; by which name it is alfo called of the Lattnes Radix Marica, or rather Ra- 
dix Naronica,o{ the riuer Naron,by which the befl and greateft ftore do grow . W hereupon Nican* 
der in his T reacles commcndeth it thus : 
Iridem quam abut T>rilon,$ A ’ aronis ripa. 
Which may thus be Englifhed : 
Iris, which Drilonwattx feeds. 
And Naims bankes with other weeds. 
The Italians, Giglio a\nrro : in Spanifh ,LilioCardeno : in French, Elmbe : The Germancs,<t 5 t!getJ, 
SgtcfjtOCttd t in Dutch, jLtfcI). . 
Thefecond is called in Latine, Iris pah (Iris lfttca ) Pfeniloacoruf 1 a.nd4et>r>ss palujlris : inEnglifh, 
Water- 
