Lib. i. 
Of the Hiftorfe of Plants. 
121 
Bulbas Triop boras. 
Woolly Iacinth. 
Chap. 82i Of Woolf Pulbm. 
The Defcription. 
T 
"•Here hath fallen out to be here inserted a 
bulbous plant confifting of manyBulbes, 
which hath palfed currantamongflallour 
late Writers. The which I am to fet forth to the 
view of our Nation, as others haue done in fun- 
dry languages to theirs, as a kind of the Iacinths 
which in roots and leaues it doth very wel refem- 
ble* called of the Grecians,'Ee« w : in I., atine Let- 
niftrus. , becaufe ofhis aboundanceof Wooll-re^ 
fembling fubftance, wherewith the whole Plant 
is in euery part full fraught, as well roots, leaues, 
asftalkes. The leaues are broad, thicke fat full 
of juyee, and of a fpider-like web when they be 
broken. Among tbefc leaues filetli vp a fialke 
two cubits high,. much like vnto rlje (hike of 
Squiila or Sea-Onion ; and from (he middle to 
the top it is befet round about with many fmall 
ftarre-like blew floures without fraell, v ery like 
to the floures of Afphodill ; beginning to floure 
at the bottome,and fovpward by degrees where 
by it is long before ic hath done Homing • which 
floures the learned Phyfitianof Vienna, Io haunts 
Atchd^ius, defired long to fee ; who brought it 
firft from Conftantinople, and planted it in his 
Garden,where he nourifhed it tegneyeares with 
great curiofitie: which time being expired, thin- 
king it to be a barren plant, he fent it to Carolus 
CIhJius, with whom in fome few yeres it did beare 
fuch floures as before ddcribed, butneuerfince 
gladly haue feer.e the feed that fhould fucceed thefe flomeY.' bm £ey bdn^of^Mtu^qukklt 
fubied to peril h, decay, and fade, began prefently to pine away, leaning onely a fewchaffie and 
idle iecd-veflels without fruit. My felfe hathbeene poffeffed with this plant at the Jeaft pveS 
yeares, whereof I haue yearely great encreafe ofnew roots,butIdidneuerfee any token ofbud 
ding or flouring to this day : notwithftanding I (ball be content to fuifer it in fome bafe nlaceor 
otheroimygarLen,to {land as the cipher oat the end of the figures, to attend his time and lei 
lure, as thofe men of famous memorie haue done. Of whofe temperature and vertues there hath 
not any thing beene faid, but kept in gardens to the end aforefaid. 
C h a p. 83. Of tm feigned ‘Plants . 
The Defcription. 
* T h uf ic C0IU 'enient to conclude this biftorieof* the Hyacinths with the fe two 
* TT S i 1 iantS ’ r “ Clued b y tradition from others, though generally holden for feigned 
. and adulterine. Their pidures I could willingly haue omitted in this hiftoric if the 
eurious eye could elfewhere haue found them drawne and defcribed in our Englifh Tongue : but 
ecaufe I finde them in none, I will lay them downe here, to the end that it may ferueforexcufe 
nedancfadllr ^ which lift u °t to deferibe them, being as I faid condemned for fei- 
lll il naked Y drawnc onc! y- And the firft of them is called Bulbas ■■ by others 
,','T Commentate. The defeription confifteth of thefe points.f/a.The floures f faith 
Author) are no Idle ftrange than wonderfull. The leaues and roots are like to thofe of Hya- 
cinths 
