The herball or Generall historie of plantes. Gathered by Iohn Gerarde of London Master in Chirurgerie very much enlarged and amended by Thomas Iohnson citizen and apothecarye of London

CHAP. 108. Of the Crowne 〈◊〉〈◊〉.

¶ The Description.

THe Crowne Imperial hath for his root a thicke firme and solid bulbe, couered with a yellow∣ish filme or skinne, from the which riseth vp a great thicke fat stalke two cubits high, in the bare and naked part of a darke ouerworne dusky purple colour. The leaues grow confusedly about the stalke like those of the white Lilly, but narrower: the floures grow at the top of the stalke, in∣compassing it round in forme of an Imperiall crowne (whereof it tooke his name) hanging their

[illustration]

Corona Imperialis. The Crowne Imperiall.

[illustration]

Corona Imperialis duplici corona. The double Crowne Imperiall.

[illustration]

Corona Imperialis cum semine. Crowne Imperiall with the seed.

heads downward as it were bels: in colour it is yellowish; or to giue you the true co∣lour, which by words otherwise cannot be expressed, if you lay sap berries in steepe in faire water for the space of two houres, and mix a little Saffron with that infusion, and lay it vpon paper, it sheweth the perfect colour to limne or illumine the floure withall. The backside of the said floure is streaked with purplish lines, which doth greatly set forth the beauty thereof. In the bottome of each of these bells there is pla∣ced six drops of most cleere shining sweet water, in tast like sugar, resembling in shew faire Orient pearles; the which drops if you take away, there do immediately ap∣peare the like: notwithstanding if they may be suffered to stand still in the floure according to his owne nature, they wil ne∣uer fall away, no not if you strike the plant vntill it be broken. Amongst these drops there standeth out a certaine pestell, as also sundry smal chiues tipped with small pen∣dants like those of the Lilly: aboue the whole floures there growes a tuft of green leaues like those vpon the stalke, but smal∣ler. After the floures be faded, there 〈◊〉〈◊〉 cods or seed-vessels six square, wherein

is contained flat seeds, tough and limmer, of the colour of Mace. The whole plant, as well roots as floures, do sauour or smell very like a Fox. As the plant groweth old, so doth it wax rich, brin∣ging forth a Crowne of floures amongst the vppermost greene leaues, which some make a second kinde, although in truth they are but one and the selfe same, which in time is thought to grow to a triple crowne, which hapneth by the age of the root, and fertilitie of the soile; whose figure or tipe I haue thought good to adioyne with that picture also which in the time of his infancie it had.

¶ The Place.

This plant likewise hath been brought from Constantinople amongst other bulbous roots, and made Denizons in our London gardens, whereof I haue great plenty.

¶ The Time.

It floureth in Aprill, and sometimes in March, when as the weather is warme and pleasant. The seed is ripe in Iune.

¶ The Names.

This rare & strange Plant is called in Latine, Corona Imperialis, and Lilium Byzantinum: the Turks doe call it Cauale lale, and Tusai. And as diuers haue sent into these parts of these roots at sun∣dry times, so haue they likewise sent them by sundry names; some by the name Tusai; others, Tou∣sai, and Tuyschiachi, and likewise Turfani and Turfanda. ‡ Clusius, and that not without good rea∣son, iudgeth this to be the Hemerocallis of Dioscorides, mentioned lib. 3. cap. 120.

¶ The Nature and Vertues.

The vertue of this admirable plant is not yet knowne, neither his faculties or temperature in working. † 1.1

Notes

• † 1.1

  If this be the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉〈◊〉, you may 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the vertues thereof specified pag. 99. of this Worke; where in my iudgement they are not so sitly placed as they might haue beene here: yet we at this day haue no knowledge of the physicall operation of either of those plants mentioned in that place, or of this treated of in this chapter.