L 
I B. 1 . 
Of the Hiftorie of Plants. 
The V'efcription. 
i 5 Amaranthus pamiiculu mama 
0 huloferica. 
Veiiiet Floures Gentle. 
r T) Vrple flortre Gentle tifeth vp with a ftalke a cubit high, and fometirne higher (heated 
I or chamfered alongft the fame, often reddith toward t^ie root, and very fmooth -which 
dnudethitfelfe toward the top into fmall branches, .about which hand lono- j eaup , 
broad, (harpe pointed, foft,flippery,ofa greene colour, and fometimes tending to a reddiil, • V 
ted of floures, come vpeares or fpokie tufts, very braue to lookevpon, but without fmell . of a 
finning light purple, with a gloffe like veiiiet, but far palling it : which when they are bruifeef do' 3 
yeeld a luyce almoft of the fame colour, and being gathered, doe keepe their beauty a long time 
after, -mlomuch that being fet in water, it will reniueagaine asat the time ofhis gathering and 
it remaineth fiynany yeares, whereupon likewife it hath taken its name. The feed ftandeth ih the 
ripe eares, of colour blacke,and much glittering : the root is fhort, and full of firings. " • 
2 The fecond fort of fioure Gentle hath 
leaues like vnto the former : the ftalke is vp- 
right with a few fmall flender leaues fet vpon 
it among which doe grow final! clutters of 
' fcaly floures, of an ouerworne fcarlet colour. 
The feed is like the former. 
3 It far exceedeth my skill to deferibe 
the beauty and excellency of this rare plant 
called F lor amor ; and I thinke the penlill of 
the moft curious paintc-r wil be at a ftay,vvhen 
he fhall come to fet him dovvnein hisliuely 
colours: but to colour it after my beft man- 
ner this I fay : Flo rumor hath a thicke knob- 
by root, whereupon doe grow many threddy 
firings : from which rifetha thicke ftalke 
but tender and loft, which beginneth to de- 
lude himfelfe into fundry branches at the 
ground and fo vpward, whereupon doe grow 
many leaues, wherein doth confift his beauty- 
for in few words, euery leafe doth referable in 
colours the moft faire and beautiful I feather 
ofa Parrat, efpeciaJly thofe feathers that are 
mixed with moft fundry colours, as a (tripe of 
red,and a line of yellow, a da ih ofwhite,anda 
rib of green colour, which I canot with words 
fet forth, filch are the fundry mixtures of co- 
lours that nature hath beftovvedin her greateft 
iollicie vpon this floure.the floures doeorow 
berweenethe foot-ftalkes of thofe leaues and 
the body of the ftalke or trunke,bafe, and of 
no moment in refpe&oftbe leaues, being as 
tovrnte colour rthe feed is blrrcke.und (lining Hke CiSidtme.'®! ‘fjLjS 
‘ vanegeted as our Author men crons, but the leaues are commonly of three colours- rhe lower 
the “dnude themfelues into branefo-s , whereupon dE 
the re ? Rp t ft ' p ea “ e * a greene colour tending to rednefle, in fhew like thofe of 
aloncftrh fidi lit here and there with red, mixed with greene. The floures grow 
nnmh a h f ^ ftf S ’ fr0 Pr j e m lddeft thcreof euen ro tlle top, in fhape like Pan, cum, that is a areat • 
rhet r ° f ft Chaffi c CCOnfU , rcdca / eS tlmlfthard together, of a deepe purple colour. Icanconfnare 
thefhape rhereofto nothing fo fitly as to the veiiiet head of a Stag,compaa of f uc h foft matter 
is the lame 'wherein is the feed, in colour whine, round, and bored through the middle 
bendedTonnd’anS ft ld eaUCS 15 lm,ch llke the pL,rple floure GentIe > but beheads are larger, 
Ctnufou ? 1 ^ ! a f ed ’ tJ or as ‘t were wouen one with another looking very beautifuHv like to 
dens f rtIl iUeC ft hlS 18 dorae t0 b £ found with vs • but for rhe beauties fake is kept in the Gai- 
ns of Italy, whereas the women efteemed it not only for the comelineffe and beautious afpefr, 
but 
