Page:Paradisi in sole paradisus terrestris (1904 reprint).djvu/66

46 of mixtures we haue eene and oberued in them, that o they may be both the better decribed by me, and the better conceiued by others, and euery one placed in their proper ranke. Yet I hall in this, as I intend to doe in diuers other plants that are variable, giue but one decription in generall of the plant, and then fet downe the varietie of forme or colour afterwards briefly by themelues.

The early Tulipa (and o all other Tulipas) pringeth out of the ground with his leaues folded one within another, the firt or lowet leafe rieth vp firt, harpe pointed, and folded round together, vntill it be an inch or two aboue the ground, which then openeth it elfe, hewing another leafe folded alo in the boome or belly of the firt, which in time likewife opening it elfe, heweth forth a third, and ometimes a fourth and a fifth: the lower leaues are larger then the vpper, and are faire, thicke, broad, long, and hollow like a gutter, and ometimes crumpled on the edges, which will hold water that falleth thereon a long time, of a pale or whitih greene colour, (and the Mediæ and Serotinæ more greene) couered ouer as it were with a mealinee or hoarinee, with an eye or hew of rednee towards the bottome of the leaues, and the edges in this kinde being more notable white, which are two principall notes to know a Præcox Tulipa from a Media or Serotina: the talke with the flower rieth vp in the middle, as it were through thee leaues, which in time tand one aboue another, compaing it at certaine vnequall ditances, and is often oberued to bend it elfe crookedly downe to the ground, as if it would thrut his head thereinto, but turning vp his head (which will be the flower) againe, afterwards tandeth vpright, ometimes but three or foure fingers or inches high, but more often halfe a foote, and a foot high, but the Medias, and Serotinas much higher, carrying (for the mot part) but one flower on the toppe thereof, like vnto a Lilly for the forme, coniting of ixe leaues, greene at the firt, and afterwards changing into diuers and undry euerall colours and varieties, the bottomes likewie of the leaues of thee ometimes, but mot epecially of the Mediæ, being as variable as the flower, which are in ome yellow, or green, or blacke, in others white, blew, purple, or tawnie; and ometimes one colour circling another: ome of them haue little or no ent at all, and ome haue a better then others. After it hath been blowne open three or foure dayes or more, it will in the heate of the Sunne pread it elfe open, and lay it elfe almot flat to the talke: in the middle of the flower tandeth a greene long head (which will be the eed veell) compaed about with ixe chiues, which doe much vary, in being ometimes of one, and ometimes of another colour, tipt with pendents diuerly varied likewie: the head in the middle of the flower groweth after the flower is fallen, to be long, round, and edged, as it were three quare, the edges meeting at the toppe, where it is mallet, and making as it were a crowne (which is not een in the head of any Lilly) and when it is ripe, diuideth it elfe on the inide into ixe rowes, of flat, thinne, brownih, gritly feede, very like vnto the eede of the Lillies, but brighter, tiffer, and more tranparent: the roote being well growne is round, and omewhat great, mall and pointed at the toppe, and broader, yet roundih at the bottome, with a certaine eminence or eate on the one ide, as the roote of the Colchicum hath; but not o long, or great, it hath alo an hollownee on the one ide (if it haue borne a flower) where the talke grew, (for although in the time of the firt pringing vp, vntill it hew the budde for flower, the talke with the leaues thereon rie vp out of the middle of the roote; yet when the talke is rien vp, and heweth the budde for flower, it commeth to one ide, making an impreion therein) couered ouer with a brownih thin coate or skin, like an Onion, hauing a little woollinee at the bottome; but white within, and firme, yet compoed of many coates, one folding within another, as the roote of the Daffodils be, of a reaonable good tate, neyther very weete, nor yet vnpleaant. This decription may well erue for the other Tulipas, being Medias or Serotinas, concerning their pringing and bearing, which haue not any other great variety therein worth the note, which is not expreed here; the chiefe difference reting in the variety of the colours of the flower, and their euerall mixtures and markes, as I aid before: auing onely, that the flowers of ome are great and large, and of others maller, and the leaues of ome long Rh