These Lillies doe all grow in Gardens, but their naturall places of growing is the Mountaines and the Vallies neere them in Italy, as Matthiolus saith: and in many Countries of Germany, as Hungarie, Austria, Stiria, and Bohemia, as Clusius and other doe report.
The Time.
They flower for the most part in Iune, yet the first of these is the earliest of all the rest.
The Names.
All these Lillies are called Lilia Rubra, Red Lillies: Some call them Lilium Aureum, Lilium Purpureum, Lilium Puniceum, & Lilium Cruentum. Some also call them Martagon Chimistarum. Clusius calleth these bulbed Lillies Martagon Bulbiferum. It is thought to be Hyacinthus Poetarum, but I referre the discussing thereof to a fitter time. Wee haue, to distinguish them most fitly (as I take it) giuen their proper names in their seuerall titles.
Chap. VI.
Lilium Album. The White Lilly.
Now remaineth onely the White Lilly, of all the whole family or stocke of the Lillies, to bee spoken of, which is of two sorts. The one is our common or vulgar White Lilly; and the other, that which was brought from Constantinople.
Lilium Album vulgare. The ordinary White Lilly.
The ordinary White Lilly scarce needeth any description, it is so well knowne, and so frequent in euery Garden; but to say somewhat thereof, as I vse to doe of euery thing, be it neuer so common and knowne; it hath a cloued or scaly roote, yellower and bigger then any of the red Lillies: the stalke is of a blackish greene colour, and riseth as high as most of the Lillies, hauing many faire, broad, and long greene leaues thereon, larger and longer beneath, and smaller vpon the stalke vpwards; the flowers are many or few, according to the age of the plant, fertility of the soile, and time of standing where it groweth: and stand vpon long greene footstalkes, of a faire white colour, with a long pointell in the middle, and white chiues tipt with yellow pendents about it; the smell is somewhat heady and strong.