I haue thought fittest to begin with this Iacinth, both because it is the greatest and highest, and also because the flowers hereof are in some likenesse neare vnto a Daffodill, although his roote be tuberous, and not bulbous as all the rest are. This Indian Iacinth hath a thicke knobbed roote (yet formed into seuerall heads, somewhat like vnto bulbous rootes) with many thicke fibres at the bottome of them; from the diuers heads of this roote arise diuers strong and very tall stalkes, beset with diuers faire, long, and broad leaues, ioyned at the bottome close vnto the stalke, where they are greatest, and grow smaller to the very end, and those that grow higher to the toppe, being smaller and smaller, which being broken, there appeare many threeds like wooll in them: the toppes of the stalkes are garnished with many faire large white flowers, each whereof is composed of six leaues, lying spread open, as the flowers of the white Daffodill, with some short threeds in the middle, and of a very sweete sent, or rather strong and headie.
Hyacinthus Indicus minor tuberosa radice. The smaller Indian knobbed Iacinth.
The roote of this Iacinth is knobbed, like the roote of Arum or Wake Robin, from whence doe spring many leaues, lying vpon the ground, and compassing one another at the bottome, being long and narrow, and hollow guttered to the end, which is small and pointed, no lesse woolly, or full of threeds then the former: from the middle of these leaues riseth vp the stalke, being very long and slender, three or foure foot long, so that without it be propped vp, it will bend downe, and lye vpon the ground, whereon are set at certaine distances many short leaues, being broad at the bottome, where they doe almost compasse the stalke, and are smaller toward the end where it is sharpe pointed: at the top of the stalke stand many flowers, with a small peece of a green leafe at the bottome of euery foot-stalke, which seeme to bee like so many white Orientall Iacinths, being composed of six leaues, which are much thicker then the former, with six chiues or threeds in the middle, tipt with pale yellow pendents.
The Place.
They both grow naturally in the West Indies, from whence being first brought into Spaine, haue from thence been dispersed vnto diuers louers of plants.
The Time.
They flower not in these cold Countries vntill the middle of August, or not at all, if they bee not carefully preserued from the iniury of our cold Winters; and then if the precedent Summer be hot, it may be flower a moneth sooner.
The Names.
Clusius calleth the lesser (for I thinke hee neuer saw the first) Hyacinthus Indicus tuberosa radice, that is in English, The Indian Iacinth with a tuberous roote: Some would call these Hyacinthus Eriophorus Indicus, that is, The Indian woolly Iacinth, because they haue much wooll in them when they are broken; yet some doe doubt that they are not two plants seuerall, as of greater and lesser, but that the greatnesse is caused by the fertility of the soyle wherein it grew.