2. Fritillaria flore atrorubente. The bloud red Fritillaria.
The roote of this Fritillaria is somewhat rounder and closer then the former, from whence the stalke riseth vp, being shorter and lower then in any other of these kindes, hauing one or two leaues thereon, and at the top thereof two or three more set closer together, which are broader, shorter, and whiter then any of them before, almost like vnto the leaues of the yellow Fritillaria, from among which toppe leaues commeth forth the flower, somewhat bending downe, or rather standing forth, being larger then any of the former, and almost equall in bignesse vnto the yellow Fritillaria, of a duskie gray colour all ouer on the outside, and of a very darke red colour on the inside, diuersly spotted or straked: this very hardly encreaseth by the roote, and as seldome giueth ripe seede, but flowreth with the other first sorts, and before the blacke, and abideth lesse time in flower then any.
3. Fritillaria maxima purpurea siue rubra. The great purple or red Fritillaria.
This great Fritillaria hath his roote equall to the bignesse of the rest of his parts, from whence riseth vp one, & oftentimes two stalks, hauing one, two or three flowers a peece on them, as nature and the seasons are fitting: euery one of these flowers are larger and greater then any of the former described, and pendulous as they are, of a sad red or purplish colour, with many thwart lines on them, and small long markes, which hardly seeme checkerwise, nor are so eminent or conspicuous as in the former: the stalke is strong and high, whereon are set diuers long whitish greene leaues, larger and broader then those of the former.
4. Fritillaria alba. The white Fritillaria.
The white Fritillaria is so like vnto the first, that I shall not neede to make another description of this: it shall (I hope) be sufficient to shew the chiefe differences, and so proceed to the rest. The stalke and leaues of this are wholly greene, whereby it may easily be knowne from the former, which, as is said, is brownish at the bottome. The flower is white, without almost any shew of spot or marke in it, yet in some the markes are somewhat more plainly to be seene, and in some againe there is a shew of a faint kinde of blush colour to be seene in the flower, especially in the inside, the bottomes of the leaues of euery flower sometimes are greenish, hauing also a small list of greene, comming downe towards the middle of each leafe: the head or seede vessell, as also the seede and the roote, are so like vnto the former, that the most cunning cannot distinguish them.
5. Fritillaria flore duplici albicante. The double blush Fritillaria.
This Fritillaria hath a round flattish white roote, very like vnto the last Fritillaria, bearing a stalke with long greene leaues thereon, little differing from it, or the first ordinary Fritillaria: the flower is said to be constant, composed of many leaues, being ten at the least, and most vsually twelue, of a pale whitish purple colour, spotted like vnto the paler ordinary Fritillaria that is early, so that one would verily thinke it were but an accidentall kinde thereof, whereas it is (as is said before) held to bee constant, continuing in this manner.
6. Fritillaria flore luteo puro. The pure yellow Fritillaria.
The pure yellow Fritillaria hath a more round, and not so flat a whitish roote as the former kindes, and of a meane bignesse; from the middle riseth vp a stalke a foote and a halfe high, and sometimes higher, whereon are set without order diuers long and somewhat broad leaues of a whitish greene colour, like vnto the leaues of the blacke Fritillaria, but not aboue halfe so broad: the flower is somewhat small and long, not much vnlike to the blacke for shape and fashion, but that the leaues are smaller and rounder pointed, of a faint yellowish colour, without any shew of spots or checkers at all, eyther within or without the flower, hauing some chiues and yellow pendents in the middle, as is to be seene in all of them: the seede is like the first kinde.