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

¶ The Description.

1 THat which is called the Floure de-luce of many colours loseth his leaues in Winter, and in the Spring time recouereth them anew. I am not able to expresse the sundrie colours and mixtures contained in this floure: it is mixed with purple, yellow, blacke, white, and a fringe or blacke thrum downe the middle of the lower leaues, of a whitish yellow, tipped or frized, and as it were a little raised vp; of a deep purple colour neere the ground.

2 The second kinde hath long and narrow leaues of a blackish greene, like the stinking Glad∣don; among which rise vp stalkes two foot long, bearing at the top of euery stalke one floure compact of six great leaues: the three that stand vpright are confusedly and very strangely strip∣ped, mixed with white and a duskish blacke colour. The three leaues that hang downeward are like a gaping hood, and are mixed in like manner, (but the white is nothing so bright as of the other) and are as it were shadowed ouer with a darke purple colour somewhat shining: so that

cording to my iudgement the whole floure is of the colour of a Ginny hen: a rare and beautifull floure to behold.

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‡ 3 Iris maritima Narbonensis. The Sea Floure de-luce.

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4 Iris syluestris Bizantina. Wilde Bizantine Floure de-luce.

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5 Chamaeiris Angustifolia. Narrow leafed Floure de-〈◊〉〈◊〉.

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6 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉. Grasse Floure de-〈◊〉〈◊〉.

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‡ 7 Iris flore caeruleo obsoleto polyanthos. Narrow-leafed many-floured Iris.

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‡ 8 Chamaeiris nivea 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Candida. White Dwarfe Iris.

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‡ 9 Chamaeiris latifolia flore rubello. Red floured Dwarfe Iris.

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‡ 10 Chamaeiris Lutea. Yellow Dwarfe Iris.

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‡ 11 Camaeiris variegata. Varigated Dwarfe Iris.

3 The French, or rather Sea Floure de-luce (whereof there is also another of the same kinde altogether lesser) haue their roots without any sauour. In shew they differ little from the gar∣den Floure de-luce, but that the leaues of these are altogether slenderer, and vnpleasant in smell, growing plentifully in the rough crags of the rocks vnder the Alpes, and neere vnto the sea side. The which Pena found in the grassie grauelly grounds of the sea coast neere to Montpellier. The learned Doctor Assatius a long time supposed it to be Medium Diosc. Matthiolus deceiued himselfe and others, in that he said, That the root of this plant hath the sent of the peach: but my selfe haue proued it to be without sauour at all. It yeeldeth his floures in Iune, which are of all the rest most like vnto the grasse Floure de-luce. The taste of his root is hot, bitter, and with much tenuitie of parts, as hath been found by physicall proofe.

‡ 4 This Iris Bizantina hath long narrow leaues like those of the last described; very narrow, sharpe pointed, hauing no vngratefull smell; the stalks are some cubit and an halfe in length, and somtimes more; at the top they are diuided into 2 or 3 branches that haue 2 or 3 floures a piece, like in shape to the floures of the broad leafed variegated bulbous Iris; they haue also a good smell: the ends of the hanging-downe leaues are of a darke colour; the other parts of them are va∣riegated with white, purple, or violet colour. The three other leaues that stand vp are of a deepe violet or purple colour. The root is blackish, slender, hard, knotty. ‡

5 Narrow leafed Floure de-luce hath an infinite number of grassie leaues much like vnto Reed, among which rise vp many stalkes: on the ends of the same spring forth two, sometimes three right sweet and pleasant floures, compact of nine leaues. Those three that hang downward are greater than the rest, of a purple colour, stripped with white and yellow; but those three small leaues that appeare next, are of a purple colour without mixture: those three that stand vpright are of an horse-flesh colour, tipped with purple, and vnder each of these leaues appeare three small browne aglets like the tongue of a small bird.

6 The small grassie Floure de-luce differeth from the former in smalnesse and in thinnesse of leaues, and in that the stalkes are lower than the leaues, and the floures in shape and colour are like those of the stinking Gladdon, but much lesse.

‡ There are many other varieties of the broad leafed Floure de-luces besides these mentio∣ned by our Authour; as also of the narrow leafed, which here wee doe not intend to insist vpon, but referre such as are desirous to trouble themselues with these nicities, to Clusius and others.

Notwithstanding I judge it not amisse to giue the figures and briefe descriptions of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 more of the Dwarfe Floure de-luces, as also of one of the narrower leafed.

7 This therefore which we giue you in the seuenth place is Iris slorc 〈◊〉〈◊〉 obsoleto, &c. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. The leaues of this are small and long like those of the wild 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Floure de-luce; 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 (which is not very big) hath many strong threds or fibres comming out of it: the stalke (which is somewhat tall) diuides it selfe into two or three branches, whereon grow floures in shape like those of the other Floure de-luces, but their colour is of an ouer-worne blew, or Ash colour.

8 Many are the differences of the Chamaeirides latifoliae, or Broad leafed 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Floure de∣luces, but their principall distinction is in their floures; for some haue flowers of violet or purple colour, some of white, other some are variegated with yellow and purple, &c. Therefore I will onely name the colour, and giue you their figure, because their shapes differ little. This eighth therefore is Chamaeiris nivea aut Candida, White Dwarfe Iris: The ninth, Chamaeiris 〈◊〉〈◊〉 flore ru∣bello, Red floured Dwarfe Iris: The tenth, Camaeiris lutea, Yellow Dwarfe Iris: The eleuenth, Cha∣maeiris variegata, Variegated Dwarfe Iris. The leaues and stalkes of these plants are vsually about a foot high; the floures, for the bignesse of the plants, large, and they floure betimes, as in April. And thus much I thinke may suffice for the names and descriptions of these Dwarfe varieties of Floure de-luces. ‡