The Place.
Both these Iacinths grow naturally in Portugall, and from thence haue been brought, by such as seeke out for rare plants, to make a gaine and profit by them.
The Time.
They both flower in May, and not before: and their seed is ripe in Iuly.
The Names.
Some doe call these Hyacinthus Lusitanicus, The Portugall Iacinth. Clusius, who first set out the descriptions of them, called them as is expressed in their titles; and therefore we haue after the Latine name giuen their English, according as is set downe. Or if you please, you may call them, The greater and the lesser Portugall Iacinth.
Hyacinthus Stellaris flore cinereo. The ash coloured Starry Iacinth.
This ash coloured Iacinth, hath his leaues very like vnto the leaues of the English Iacinth, and spreading vpon the ground in the same manner, among which rise vp one or two stalkes, set at the toppe with a number of small starre-like flowers, bushing bigger below then aboue, of a very pale or white blew, tending to an ash colour, and very sweete in smell: the seede is blacke and round, like vnto the seede of the English Iacinth, and so is the roote, being great, round, and white; so like, I say, that it is hard to know the one from the other.
The Place.
The certaine originall place of growing thereof, is not knowne to vs.