Flora, seu, De florum cultura, or, A complete florilege, furnished with all requisites belonging to a florist by John Rea, Gent.

Paralysis minor flore rubro.

REd Birds eyes continue all the Winter with the leaves closed to∣gether, which at the Spring do open and spread upon the ground, with small long and narrow leaves, snipt about the edges, of a pale green on the upper side, and of a mealy whitish colour on the other; from among the leaves rise up one or two small hairy stalks, half a foot high, bearing at the top many small flowers, like in fashion un∣to a small Bears-ear, of a fine reddish Peach-colour, with yellow eyes in the bottoms of the flowers, it hath a small stringy root, and some∣times beareth small seeds.

There is another of this kind that is a little bigger in all the parts thereof, and beareth white flowers.

And a third that is like the last, but that the white flowers are poudered over with the same red colour that is in the first.

These pretty plants bring forth their flowers in April, and are pre∣served in some Florists Gardens, they prosper best in a shady barren place, for they grow naturally in moist barren ground in the Nor∣thern parts. I received the several varieties before mentioned from that worthy honest Gentleman my very good friend Mr. Roger Brodshaw of the Hay in Lancashire before remembered.