1. Asphodelus maior albus ramosus. The great white branched Asphodill.
The great white Asphodill hath many long, and narrow, hollow three square leaues, sharpe pointed, lying vpon the ground round about the roote: the stalke is smooth, round, and naked without leaues, which riseth from the midst of them, diuided at the toppe into diuers branches, if the plant bee of any long continuance, or else but into two or three small branches, from the sides of the maine great one, whereon doe stand many large flowers Starre-fashion, made of six leaues a peece, whitish on the inside, and straked with a purplish line downe the backside of euery leafe, hauing in the middle of the flowers some small yellow threeds: the seede is blacke, and three square, greater then the seede of Bucke wheate, contained in roundish heads, which open into three parts: the roote is composed of many tuberous long clogges, thickest in the middle, and smaller at both ends, fastened together at the head, of a darke grayish colour on the outside, and yellow within.
2. Asphodelus albus non ramosus. The white vnbranched Asphodill.
The vnbranched Asphodill is like vnto the former, both in leaues and flowers, but that the flowers of this are whiter, and without any line or strake on the backe side, and the stalkes are without branches: the rootes likewise are smaller, and fewer, but made after the same fashion.
3. Asphodelus maior flore carneo. The blush coloured Asphodill.
This Asphodill is like to the last in forme of leaues and branches, and differeth in this, that his leaues are marked with some spots, and the flowers are of a blush or flesh colour, in all other things alike.
4. Asphodelus minimus albus. The least white Asphodill.
This least Asphodill hath foure or fiue very narrow long leaues, yet seeming three square like the greatest, bearing a small stalke, of about a foote high among them, without any branches, and at the toppe a few white flowers, straked both within and without, with a purplish line in the middle of euery leafe. The rootes are such like tuberous clogges as are in the former, but much lesser.
5. Asphodelus albus minor siue Fistulosus. The little hollow white Asphodill.
This little white Asphodill hath a number of leaues growing thicke together, thicker and greener then those of the small yellow Asphodill, or Kings Speare next following, among which riseth vp diuers round stalkes, bearing flowers from the middle to the toppe, Starre-fashion, with small greene leaues among them, which are white on the inside, and striped on the backe with purple lines like vnto the first described: the seede, and heads containing them, are three square, like the seede of the little yellow Asphodill: the rootes of this kinde are not glandulous, as the former, but stringie, long and white: the whole plant is very impatient of our cold Winters, and quickly perisheth, if it be not carefully preserued, both from the cold, and much wet in the Winter, by housing it; and then it will abide many yeares: for it is not an annuall plant, as many haue thought.