The Time.
These flower in Aprill, but the first is the earliest of the rest, and is in flower presently after the early Starry Iacinth, before described.
The Names.
The former haue their names in their titles, and are not knowne vnto vs by any other names that I know; but as I said before, the last is called by some, Hyacinthus Boraginis flore. The first was sent out of Turkie, by the name of Susamgiul, by which name likewise diuers other things haue beene sent, so barren and barbarous is the Turkish tongue.
{Summer Starry Iacinths}
Hyacinthus Stellatus Æstivus maior. The greater Summer Starry Iacinth.
This late Iacinth hath diuers narrow greene leaues, lying vpon the ground, somewhat like the leaues of the English Iacinth, but stiffer and stronger; among which riseth vp a round stiffe stalke, bearing many flowers at the toppe thereof, and at euery foote-stalke of the flowers a small short leafe, of a purplish colour: the flowers are starre-like, of a fine delayed purplish colour, tending to a pale blew or ash colour, striped on the backe of euery leafe, and hauing a pointed vmbone in the middle, with some whitish purple threeds about it, tipt with blew: the seede is blacke, round, and shining, like vnto the seede of the English Iacinth, but not so bigge: the roote is round and white, hauing some long thicke rootes vnder it, besides the fibres, as is vsuall in many other Iacinths.
Hyacinthus Stellatus Æstivus minor. The lesser Summer Starry Iacinth.
This lesser Iacinth hath diuers very long, narrow, and shining greene leaues, spread vpon the ground round about the roote, among which riseth vp a very short round stalke, not aboue two inches high, carrying six or seuen small flowers thereon, on each side of the stalke, like both in forme and colour vnto the greater before described, but lesser by farre: the seede is blacke, contained in three square heads: the roote is small and white, couered with a browne coate, and hauing some such thicke rootes among the fibres, as are among the other.