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CHAP. LXXXIIII.
Lilium Conuallium. Lilly Conually.
THe remembrance of the Conuall Lilly, spoken of in the precedent Chapter, hath caused me to insert these plants among the rest, although differing both in face and properties; but lest it should lose all place, let it keepe this. It is of two sorts, differing chiefly in the colour of the flowers, the one being white, and the other reddish, as shall be shewed in their descriptions following.
1. Lilium Conuall••um flore albo. The white Lilly Conually.
The white Conuall or May Lilly, hath three or foure leaues rising together from the roote, one enclosed within another, each whereof when it is open is long and broad, of a grayish shining greene colour, somewhat resembling the leaues of the for∣mer wilde Neesewort, at the side whereof, and sometime from the middle of them, riseth vp a small short naked foote-stalke, an hand breadth high or somewhat more, bearing at the toppe one aboue another many small white flowers, like little hollow bottles with open mouths, nicked or cut into fiue or six notches, turning all downe∣wards one way, or on one side of the stalke, of a very strong sweete sent, and comfor∣table for the memory and senses, which turne into small red berries, like vnto Aspara∣gus, wherein is contained hard white seede: the rootes runne vnder ground, creeping euery way, consisting of many small white strings.
2. Lilium Conuallium flore rubente. May Lillies with red flowers.
This other May Lilly differeth neither in roote, leafe, nor forme of flower from that before, but onely in the colour of the flower, which is of a fine pale red colour, being in my iudgement not altogether so sweet as the former.
The first groweth aboundantly in many places of England. The other is a stranger, and groweth only in the Gardens of those that are curious louers of rarities.
They both flower in May, and the berries are ripe in August.
The Latines haue no other name for this plant but Lilium Conuallium, al∣though some would haue it to be Lilium vernum of Theophrastus, and o∣thers Oenanthe of the same Author. Gesner thinketh it to be Callionymus. Lonicerus to be Cacalia, and Fuchsius to be Ephemerum non lethale: but they are all for the most part mistaken. We call it in English Lilly Conually, May Lilly, and of some Liriconfancie.
The flowers of the white kinde are often vsed with those things that help to strengthen the memory, and to procure ease to Apoplecticke persons. Camerarius setteth downe the manner of making an oyle of the flowers hereof, which he saith is very effectuall to ease the paines of the Goute, and such like diseases, to be vsed outwardly, which is thus: Hauing filled a glasse with the flowers, and being well stopped, set it for a moneths space in an Ants hill, and after being drayned cleare, set it by to vse.