Wee haue had from Virginia a roote sent vnto vs, that wee might well iudge, by the forme and colour thereof being dry, to be either the roote of this, or of an Orchis, which the naturall people hold not onely to be singular to procure lust, but hold it as a secret, loth to reueale it.
Chap. XXIIII.
Cyclamen. Sowebread.
The likenesse of the flowers, and the spotting of the leaues of the Dens Caninus, with these of the Cyclamen or Sowebread, maketh mee ioyne it next thereunto: as also that after the bulbous rooted plants I might begin with the tuberous that remaine, and make this plant the beginning of them. Of this kinde there are diuers sorts, differing both in forme of leaues and time of flowring: for some doe flower in the Spring of the yeare, others afterwards in the beginning of Summer: but the most number in the end of Summer, or beginning of Autumne or Haruest, whereof some haue round leaues, others cornered like vnto Iuie, longer or shorter, greater or smaller. Of them all in order, and first of those that come in the Spring.
1. Cyclamen Vernum flore purpureo. Purple flowred Sowebread of the Spring.
This Sowebread hath a smaller roote then most of the others, yet round and blackish on the outside, as all or most of the rest are (I speake of them that I haue seene; for Clusius and others doe report to haue had very great ones) from whence rise vp diuers round, yet pointed leaues, and somewhat cornered withall, greene aboue, and spotted with white spots circlewise about the leafe, and reddish vnderneath, which at their first comming vp are folded together; among which come the flowers, of a reddish purple colour and very sweete, euery one vpon a small, long, and slender reddish foote-stalke, which hanging downe their heads, turne vp their leaues againe: after the flowers are past, the head or seede vessel shrinketh downe, winding his footestalke, and coyling it selfe like a cable, which when it toucheth the ground, there abideth hid among the leaues, till it be growne great and ripe, wherein are contained a few small round seedes, which being presently sowne, will growe first into round rootes, and afterwards from them shoote forth leaues.
2. Cyclamen Vernum flore albo. White flowred Sowebread of the Spring.
The white flowring Sowebread hath his leaues like the former, but not fully so much cornered, bearing small snow white flowers, as sweete as the other: and herein consisteth the chiefest difference, in all other things it is alike.