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 THe Tulipa of Bolonia hath fat, thicke, and grosse leaues, hollow, furrowed or chanel∣led, bending a little backward, and as it were folded together: which at their first comming vp seeme to be of a reddish colour, and being throughly growne turne into a whitish greene. In the middest of those leaues riseth vp a naked fat stalke a foot high, or some∣thing more, on the top whereof standeth one or two yellow floures, sometimes three or more, con∣sisting of six small leaues, after a sort like to a deepe wide open cup, narrow aboue, and wide in the bottome. After it hath beene some few dayes floured, the points and brims of the floure turne backward, like a Dalmatian or Turkish cap, called Tulipan, Tolepan, Turban, and Turfan, whereof it tooke his name. The chiues or threads in the middle of the floures be sometimes yellow, other∣whiles blackish or purplish, but commonly of one ouer-worne colour or other, Nature seeming to play more with this floure than with any other that I do know. This floure is of a reasonable pleasant smell, and the other of his kinde haue little or no smell at all. The seed is flat, smooth, shining, and of a gristly substance. The root is bulbous, and very like to a common onion of Saint Omers.

2 The French Tulipa agreeth with the former, except in the blacke bottome which this hath in the middle of the floure, and is not so sweet of smell, which setteth forth the difference.

3 The yellow Tulipa that floureth timely hath thicke and grosse leaues full of iuyce, long, hollow, or gutter fashion, set about a tender stalke, at the top whereof doth grow a faire and plea∣sant shining yellow floure, consisting of six small leaues without smell. The root is bulbous or like an onion.

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‡ 11 Tulipa flore albo strijs pure∣pureis. The white Tulip with pur∣ple streakes.

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‡ 12 Tulipa flore albo oris dilute rubentibus. The white Tulip with light red edges.

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‡ 13 Tulipa flore pallido. The straw-coloured Tulip.

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‡ 14 Tulipa flammea strijs flauescentibus. The flame coloured Tulip with yellowish streakes.

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‡ 15 Tulipa polyclonos minor serotina flore rubro vel flauo, Clusij. The lesser many-branched late Tulip of Clusius, with red, or else yellow floures.

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‡ 16 Tulipa serotina polyclados major flo. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 fundo nigro, Clusij. Clusius his greater many branched Tulip with a yellow floure, and blacke bot∣tome.

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‡ 17 Tulipa pumilio obscure rubeus oris virentibus. The dwarfe Tulip with darke red floures edged with greene.

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‡ 18 Tulipa pumilio flore purpurascenti intus candido. The Dwarfe Tulip with a purplish floure, white within.

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‡ 19 Tulipa pumilio lutea. The yellow Dwarfe Tulip.

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‡ 20 Tulipa Persica flore rubro, oris albidis elegans. The pretty Persian Tulip hauing a red floure with whitish edges.

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‡ 21 Tulipa aurea oris rubentibus. The gold yellow with red edges

〈◊〉〈◊〉 fourth kinde of Tulipa, that floureth later, hath leaues, stalks, and roots like vnto the 〈◊〉〈◊〉. The floures hereof be of a skarlet colour, welted or bordered about the edges with 〈◊〉〈◊〉 middle part is like vnto a hart tending to whitenesse, spotted in the same whitenes with 〈◊〉〈◊〉 or spots. The seed is contained in square cods, flat, tough, and sinewie.

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22 Tulipa miniata. The Vermilion Tulip.

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‡ 23 Tulipa albo & rubro striatus. The white and red striped Tulip.

5 The fift sort of Tulipa, which is neither of the timely ones, nor of the later flouring sort, but one that buddeth forth his most beautifull floures betweene both. It agreeth with the last de∣scribed Tulipa, in leaues, stalkes, roots, and seed, but differeth in floures. The floure consisteth of six small leaues ioyned together at the bottome: the middle of which leaues are of a pleasant bloudy colour, the edges be bordered with white, and the bottome next vnto the stalke is likewise white; the whole floure resembling in colour the blossomes of an Apple tree.

6 The sixth hath leaues, roots, stalkes, and seed like vnto the former, but much greater in e∣uery point. The floures hereof are white, dasht about the brimmes or edges with a red or blush colour. The middle part is stripped confusedly with the same mixture, wherein is the difference.

7 Carolus Clusius setteth forth in his Pannonicke historie a kinde of Tulipa that beareth faire red floures, blacke in the bottome, with a pestell in the middle of an ouer-worne greenish colour; of which sort there happeneth some to haue yellow floures, agreeing with the others before tou∣ched: but this bringeth forth encrease of root in the bosome of his lowest leafe next to the stalke, contrarie to all the other kindes of Tulipa.

8 Lobelius in his learned Obseruations hath set forth many other sorts; one he calleth Tulipa Chalcedonica, or the Turky Tulipa, saying it is the least of the small kindes or Dwarfe Tulipa's, whose floure is of a sanguine red colour, vpon a yellow ground, agreeing with the others in roote, leafe, and stalke.

9 He hath likewise set forth another; his floure is like the Lilly in proportion, but in colour of a fine purple.

10 We may also behold another sort altogether greater than any of the rest, whose floure is in colour like the stone called Amethist, not vnlike to the floures of Peonie.

11 We haue likewise another of greater beauty, and very much desired of all, with white floures dasht on the backside, with a light wash of watchet colour.

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‡ 24 Tulipa luteo & rubro striatus. The red and yellow Fooles coat.

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‡ 25 Tulipa flore color is sulphur The sulphur-coloured 〈◊〉〈◊〉

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‡ 26 Tulipa rubra oris pallidis. The red Tulip with pale edges.

12 There is another also in our London gar∣dens, of a snow white colour; the edges slightly washt ouer with a little of that we call blush co∣lour.

13 We haue another like the former, sauing that his floure is of a straw colour.

14 There is another to be seene with a floure mixed with streaks of red and yellow, resembling a flame of fire, wherupon we haue called it Flam∣bant.

There be likewise so many more differing so notably in colour of their floures, although in leaues, stalke, and roots for the most part one like another, that (as I said before) to speake of them seuerally would require a peculiar volume.

‡ Therefore not to trouble you any further, I haue giuen you onely the figures and names of the notablest differences which are in shape; as, the dwarfe Tulipa's, and the branched ones, toge∣ther with the colour of their floures, contained in their titles, that you need not far to seeke it. ‡

There be a sort greater than the rest, which in forme are like; the leaues whereof are thicke, long, broad, now and then somewhat folded in the edges; in the middest whereof doth rise vp a stalk a foot high, or somthing higher, vpon which stan∣deth onely one floure bolt vpright, consisting of six leaues, after a sort like to a deepe wide cup of this forme, viz. the bottome turned vpwards, with

threds or chiues in the middle, of the colour of Saffron. The colour of the floure is sometimes yellow, sometimes white, now and then as it were of a light purple, and many times red; and in this there is no small varieties of colours, for the edges of the leaues, and oftentimes the nailes or lower part of the leaues are now & then otherwise coloured than the leaues themselues, and many times there doth runne all along these streakes some other colours. They haue no smell at all that can be perceiued. The roots of these are likewise bulbed, or Onion fashion; euery of the which to set forth seuerally would trouble the writer, and wearie the Reader; so that, what hath bin said shall suffice touching the description of Tulipa's. ‡ True it is that our Author here affirmes, The varieties of these floures are so infinite, that it would both tyre the Writer and Reader to re∣count them. Yet for that some are more in loue with floures than with Plants in generall, I haue thought good to direct them where they may finde somewhat more at large of this Plant: Let such therefore as desire further satisfaction herein haue recourse to the Florilegies of De 〈◊〉〈◊〉, Swerts, Robin, or to M. Parkinson, who hath not onely largely treated of the floures in particular, but also of the ordering of them. ‡

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‡ 27 Tulipa lutea serotina. The late flouring yellow Tulip.

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‡ 28 Tulipa serotina lutea gutt is sanguineis fundo nigro. The late Yellow with sanguine spots and a blacke bottome.