Vnto the former Starre-flowers, must needes bee ioyned another tribe or kindred, which carry their straked flowers Starre-fashion, not spikewise, but in a tuft or vmbell thicke thrust or set together. And although diuers of them smell not as the former, but most of their first Grandfathers house, yet all doe not so; for some of them are of an excellent sent. Of the whole Family, there are a great many which I must leaue, I will onely select out a few for this our Garden, whose flowers for their beauty of statelinesse, forme, or colour, are fit to bee entertained, and take place therein, euery one according to his worth, and are accepted of with the louers of these delights.
{The greatest Moly of Homer and the Indian Moly}
1. Moly Homericum, vel potius Theophrasti. The greatest Moly of Homer.
Homers Moly (for so it is most vsually called with vs) riseth vp most commonly with two, and sometimes with three great, thicke, long, and hollow guttered leaues, of a whitish greene colour, very neare the colour of the Tulipa leafe, hauing sometimes at the end of some of the leaues, and sometimes apart by it selfe, a whitish round small button, like vnto a small bulbe, the like whereof also, but greater, doth grow betweene the bottome of the leaues and the stalke neare the ground, which being planted when it is ripe, will grow into a roote of the same kinde: among these leaues riseth vp a round, strong, and tall stalke, a yard high or better, bare or naked vnto the toppe, where it beareth a great tuft or vmbell of pale purplish flowers, all of them almost standing vpon equall foot-stalkes, or not one much higher then another, consisting of fiue leaues a peece, striped downe the backe with a small pale line, hauing a round head or vmbone with some threeds about it in the midst: These flowers doe abide a great while blowne before they vade, which smell not very strong, like any Onion or Garlicke, but of a faint smell: and after they are past come the seede, which is blacke, wrapped in white close huskes: the roote groweth very great, sometimes bigger then any mans closed fist, smelling strong like Garlicke, whitish on the outside, and greene at the toppe, if it be but a while bare from the earth about it.
2. Moly Indicum siue Caucason. The Indian Moly.
The Indian Moly hath such like thicke large leaues, as the Homers Moly hath, but shorter and broader, in the middle whereof riseth vp a short weake stalke, almost flat, not hauing any flowers vpon it, but a head or cluster of greenish scaly bulbes, inclosed at the first in a large thinne skinne, which being open, euery bulbe sheweth it selfe, standing close one vnto another vpon his foot-stalke, of the bignesse of an Acorne, which being planted, will grow to bee a plant of his owne kinde: the roote is white and great, couered with a darke coate or skinne, which encreaseth but little vnder ground; but besides that head, it beareth small bulbes aboue the ground, at the bottome of the leaues next vnto the stalke, like vnto the former.
The Place.
Both these doe grow in diuers places of Spaine, Italy, and Greece; for the last hath been sent out of Turkie among other rootes. Ferrantes Imperatus a learned Apothecary of Naples, sent it to diuers of his friends in these parts, and hath described it in his naturall history among other plants, printed in the Italian tongue. It grew also with Iohn Tradescante at Canterbury, who sent me the head of bulbes to see, and afterwards a roote, to plant it in my Garden.