The Place.
The single kindes, especially some of them, grow in Italie, and some in Greece, Candy, and the Isles adiacent, as may be gathered out of the verses in Plutarches Booke De Amore fraterno:
Inter Echinopodas velut asperam, & inter Ononim,
Inter dum crescunt mollia Leucoia.
Which sheweth, that the soft or gentle stocke gilloflowers doe sometimes grow among rough or prickely Furse and Cammocke. The other sorts are only to be found in gardens.
The Time.
They flower in a manner all the yeare throughout in some places, especially some of the single kindes, if they stand warme, and defended from the windes and cold: the double kindes flower sometimes in Aprill, and more plentifully in May, and Iune; but the double of seed, flowreth vsually late, and keepeth flowring vnto the winter, that the frostes and colde mistes doe pull it downe.
The Names.
It is called Leucoium, & Viola alba: but the name Leucoium (which is in English the white Violet) is referred to diuers plants; we call it in English generally, Stocke gilloflower, (or as others doe, Stocke gillouer) to put a difference betweene them, and the Gilloflowers and Carnations, which are quite of another kindred, as shall be shewne in place conuenient.