The Time.
It springeth out of the ground very neare a moneth before the Crowne Imperiall, but doth not flower till it bee quite past (that is to say) not vntill the latter end of Aprill, or beginning of May: the seed (when it doth come to perfection, as it seldome doth) is not ripe vntill Iuly.
The Names.
It hath been sent by the name of Pennachio Persiano, and wee thereupon doe most vsually call it Lilium Persicum, The Persian Lilly. Clusius saith it hath been sent into the Low Countries vnder the name of Susam giul, and he thereupon thinking it came from Susis in Persia, called it Lilium Susianum, The Lilly of Susis.
The Vertues.
Wee haue not yet heard, that this hath beene applyed for any Physicall respect.
Chap. III.
Martagon Imperiale, siue Lilium Montanum maius. The Martagon Imperiall.
Vnder this title of Lilium Montanum, or Lilium Siluestre, I do comprehend only those kindes of Lillies, which carry diuers circles of greene leaues set together at certaine distances, round about the stalke, and not sparsedly as the two former, and as other kindes that follow, doe. And although there bee many of this sort, yet because their chiefest difference is in the colour of the flower, wee will containe them all in one Chapter, and begin with the most stately of them all, because of the number of flowers it beareth vpon one stalke. The Imperiall Lilly hath a scaly roote, like vnto all the rest of the Lillies, but of a paler yellow colour, closely compact or set together, being short and small oftentimes, in comparison of the greatnesse of the stemme growing from it. The stalke is brownish and round at the bottome, and sometimes flat from the middle vpwards, three foote high or more, beset at certaine distances with rondles or circles of many broad leaues, larger and broader for the most part than any other of this kinde, and of a darke green colour: It hath two or three, and sometimes foure of these rondles or circles of leaues, and bare without any leafe betweene; but aboue toward the tops of the stalkes, it hath here and there some leaues vpon it, but smaller than any of the other leaues: at the toppe of the stalke come forth many flowers, sometime three or foure score, thicke thrust, or confusedly set together, and not thinne or sparsedly one aboue another, as in the lesser of this kinde of Mountaine Lilly. It hath been sometimes also obserued in this kinde, that it hath borne manie flowers at three seuerall spaces of the stalke, one aboue another, which hath made a goodly shew; each flower whereof is pendulous, hanging downe, and each leafe of the flower turning vp againe, being thicke or fleshy, of a fine delayed purple colour, spotted with many blackish or brownish spots, of a very pleasant sweet sent, which maketh it the more acceptable: in the middle of the flower hangeth downe a stile or pointell, knobbed or buttoned at the end with sixe yellow chiues, tipt with loose pendents of an Orient red or Vermillion colour, which will easily sticke like dust vpon any thing that toucheth them: the heads or seede vessels are small and round, with small edges about them, wherein is contained flat browne seede like other Lillies, but lesser. This root is very apt to encrease or set of, as we call it, wherby the plant seldome commeth to so great a head of flowers, but riseth vp with many stalkes, and then carry fewer flowers.
Martagon Imperiale flore non punctato.