Diuersitas.
The diuersity or variation of this flower.
Yet sometimes this doth vary; for the falling leaues will haue either an edge of blew, circling the white leaues, the arched leaues being a little blewer, and the vpright leaues more purple.
Or the fals will be almost wholly blew, edged with a blewer colour, the arched leaues pale blew, and the vpright leaues of a purplish blew Violet colour.
Or the fals white, the arched leaues pale white, as the vpright leaues are.
Of not of so faire a blewish purple, as the first sort is.
Some of them also will haue larger flowers then others, and be more liberall in bearing flowers: for the first sort, which is the most ordinary, seldome beareth aboue one flower on a stalke, yet sometimes two. And of the others there are some that will beare vsually two and three flowers, yet some againe will beare but one. All these kindes smell sweeter then many of the other, although the most part are without sent.
Cærulea siue purpurea minor Lusitanica præcox.
The small early purple Portugall.
There is another kinde, that is smaller in all the parts thereof then the former, the stalke is slender, and not so high, bearing at the toppe one or two small flowers, all wholly of a faire, blewish purple, with a yellow spot in euery one of the three falling leaues, this vsually flowreth early, euen with the first bulbous Flowerdeluces.
Purpurea maior.
The greater purple.
We haue another purple, whose flower is larger, and stalke higher, and is of a very reddish purple colour, a little aboue the ground, at the foote or bottome of the leaues and stalke: this flowreth with the later sort of Flowerdeluces.