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.

4 The Orientall Iacinth hath great leaues, thicke, fat, and full of juyce, deepely hollowed in the middle like a trough: from the middle of those leaues riseth vp a stalke two hands high, bare without leaues, very smooth, soft, and full of juice, loden toward the top with many faire blew Floures, hollow like a bell, greater than the English Iacinth, but otherwise like them. The root is great, bulbous, or Onion fashion, couered with many scaly reddish filmes or pillings, such as couer Onions.

5 The Iacinth with many Floures (for so doth the word Polyanthos import) hath very many large and broad leaues, short and very thicke, fat, or full of slimy juyce: from the middle whereof rise vp strong thicke grosse stalkes, bare and naked, set from the middle to the top with many blew or skie coloured Floures growing for the most part vpon one side of the stalke. The root is great, thicke, and full of slimy juyce.

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‡ 10 Hyacinthus Orientalis caule folioso Orientall Iacinth with leaues on the stalke.

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‡ 11 Hyacinthus Orientalis florepleno. The double floured Oriental Iacinth.

‡ 6 There is another like the former in each respect, sauing that the floures are wholly white on the inside, and white also on the outside, but three of the out-leaues are of a pale whitish yellow. These floures smell sweet as the former, and the heads wherein the seeds are contained are of a lighter greene colour. ‡

7 There is come vnto vs from beyond the seas diuers other sorts, whose figures are not extant with vs; of which there is one like vnto the first of these Oriental Iacinths, sauing that the floures thereof are purple coloured; whence it is termed Hyacinthus purpuro rubeus.

8 Likewise there is another called Orientalis albus, differing also from the others in colour of the floures, for that these are very white, and the others blew.

9 There is another called Hyacinthus Brumalis, or winter Iacinth: it is like the others in shape, but differeth in the time of flouring.

‡ 10 There is another Hyacinth belonging rather to this place than any other, for that in root, leaues, floures, and seeds it resembles the first described Oriental Iacinth; but in one respect it differs not onely from them, but also from all other Iacinths: which is, it hath a leauie stalke, hauing sometimes one, and otherwhiles two narrow long leaues comming forth at the bottome of

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‡ 14 Hyacinthus obsoleto flore Hispanicus major. Thegreater dusky floured Spanish Iacinth.

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‡ 15 Hyacinthus minor Hispanicus. The lesser Spanish Iacinth.

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‡ 16 Hyacinthus Indicus 〈◊〉〈◊〉. The tuberous rooted Indian Iacinth.

the setting on of the floure. Whereupon Clu∣sius calls it Hyacinthus Orientalis 〈◊〉〈◊〉 solioso: That is, the Oriental Hyacinth with leaues on the stalke.