Their names are specified in their titles, and therefore I shall not need to set downe any further repetitions.
{True Daffodils: Sea Daffodils}
To conclude therefore this discourse of true Daffodils, there remaineth to speake of the Sea Daffodils, which (as I said in the beginning) is but one, that is frequent, and doth abide with vs. But there bee some others found about the Cape of good Hope, and in the West Indies, and brought vnto these parts rather for ostentation, then continuance, where they haue flowred onely once (if peraduenture so often) so that being such strangers, of so remote Countries, and of so diuers natures, I shall but shew you some of them, rather cursorily then curiously; and but onely for your satisfaction, giue you knowledge of two or three of them, that there haue beene seene such in flower, and that they are scarce to bee seene againe, except they bee fetcht a new euery yeare that they be seene.
{The great white Sea Daffodil}
Narcissus Marinus, siue tertius Matthioli. The great white Sea Daffodill, or Matthiolus his third Daffodill.
The roote of this Daffodill by long continuance, standing in one place without being remoued, groweth to be much greater and larger, than any other Daffodill whatsoeuer, and as bigge as any meane Squilla or Sea Onion roote, hauing many long, thicke, and white fibres, or long rootes, diuersly branched, and spread vnder the vpper part of the earth beside some others that grow downward, and perish not euery yeare, as the fibres of all, or most of the other Daffodils doe; and therefore this plant will not thriue, and beare flowers, if it be often transplanted, but rather desire to abide in one place without remouing, as I said, and that not to be ouershadowed, or couered with other herbes standing too neare it, which then will flourish, and beare aboundantly: from this roote, which is couered with many blackish coates, ariseth six or seuen, or more leaues, twice so broad almost, as any of the former Daffodils, but not so long by halfe as many of them, being but short, in comparison of the breadth, and of a white greene colour; from the middle of which leaues, as also from the sides sometimes, springeth vp one or two, or more stalkes, roundish and thicke, and sometimes a little flat and cornered, a foote high or somewhat more, bearing at the toppe, out of a skinnie huske, eight, ten, twelue, or more very large flowers, consisting of six white leaues a peece, spread or laid open, with a white short cuppe or crowne in the middle, lying flat vpon the leaues, cut or diuided into six corners (and not whole, as the cuppe or crowne of any other single Daffodill) from euery of which edges, or corners of this cup or crowne, standeth one white long thread, a little crooked or turning vp at the end, tipt with a yellow pendent, and some other white threads tipt with yellow pendents, standing also in the middle: after the flower is past, there come vp great three square heads, wherein the seede is contained, which is great, blacke, and round, like vnto the seede of other Daffodils, but greater: the flower hath a reasonable good sent, but not very strong.
The Place.
It was first found by the Sea side, in the Isle of Sardinia, and on the high Mountaines also of the same Isle, where it hath borne by report, thirty fiue flowers vpon a stalke: it groweth likewise about Illyricum, and in diuers other places.
The Time.
It springeth later out of the ground then any other Daffodill, that is to say, not vntill the later end of March, or beginning of Aprill, and flowreth in the end of May, or the beginning of Iune: the seede is ripe in the end of Iuly, or beginning of August.