It flowred about the end of August with those that had it.
The Names.
Because it came from that part of the continent beyond the line, which is reckoned a part of Æthiopia, it is thereupon so called as it is set downe.
Ornithogalum Neapolitanum. The Starre-flower of Naples.
This beautifull plant riseth out of the ground very early, with foure or fiue hollow pointed leaues, standing round together, of a whitish greene colour, with a white line downe the middle of euery leafe on the inside, somewhat narrow, but long, (Fabius Columna saith, three foot long in Italy, but it is not so with vs) in the middle of these leaues riseth vp the stalke, a foote and a halfe high, bearing diuers flowers at the toppe, euery one standing in a little cuppe or huske, which is diuided into three or foure parts, hanging downe very long about the heads for seede: after the flower is past, these flowers doe all hang downe their heads, and open one way, although their little foot-stalkes come forth on all sides of the greater stalke, being large, and composed of six long leaues, of a pure white on the inside, and of a blewish or whitish greene colour on the outside, leauing the edges of euery leafe white on both sides: in the middle of these flowers stand other small flowers, each of them also made of six small white leaues a peece, which meeting together, seeme to make the shew of a cuppe, within which are contained six white threeds, tipt with yellow, and a long white pointell in the middle of them, being without any sent at all: after the flowers are past, come vp great round heads, which are too heauie for the stalke to beare; and therefore lye downe vpon the leaues or ground, hauing certaine lines or stripes on the outside, wherein is contained round, blacke, rough seede: the roote is great and white, and somewhat flat at the bottome, as diuers of these kindes are, and doe multiply as plentifully into small bulbes as the common or any other.
The Place.
This Starre-flower groweth in the Medowes in diuers places of Naples, as Fabius Columna, and Ferrantes Imperatus doe testifie, from whence they haue been sent. And Matthiolus, who setteth out the figure thereof among his Daffodills, had (it should seeme) seene it grow with him.
The Time.
It flowreth in May, although it begin to spring out of the ground oftentimes in Nouember, but most vsually in Ianuary: the seede is ripe in Iuly.