I haue not found or heard by any others of any property peculiar in this plant, to be applied either inwardly or outwardly for any disease: the chiefe or onely vse thereof is, to be an ornament for the Gardens of the curious louers of these delights, and to be worne of them abroad, which for the gallant beauty of many of them, deserueth their courteous entertainment, among many other the like pleasures.
Chap. VIII.
Tulipa. The Turkes Cap.
Next vnto the Lillies, and before the Narcissi or Daffodils, the discourse of Tulipas deserueth his place, for that it partaketh of both their natures; agreeing with the Lillies in leaues, flowers, and seede, and somewhat with the Daffodils in rootes. There are not onely diuers kindes of Tulipas, but sundry diuersities of colours in them, found out in these later dayes by many the searchers of natures varieties, which haue not formerly been obserued: our age being more delighted in the search, curiosity, and rarities of these pleasant delights, then any age I thinke before. But indeede, this flower, aboue many other, deserueth his true commendations and acceptance with all louers of these beauties, both for the stately aspect, and for the admirable varietie of colours, that daily doe arise in them, farre beyond all other plants that grow, in so much, that I doubt, although I shall in this Chapter set downe the varieties of a great many, I shall leaue more vnspoken of, then I shall describe; for I may well say, there is in this one plant no end of diuersity to be expected, euery yeare yeelding a mixture and variety that hath not before been obserued, and all this arising from the sowing of the seede. The chiefe diuision of Tulipas, is into two sorts: Præcoces, early flowring Tulipas, and Serotinæ, late flowring Tulipas. For that sort which is called Mediæ or Dubiæ, that is, which flower in the middle time betweene them both, and may be thought to be a kinde or sort by it selfe, as well as any of the other two: yet because they doe neerer participate with the Serotinæ then with the Præcoces, not onely in the colour of the leafe, being of the same greennesse with the Serotinæ, and most vsually also, for that it beareth his stalke and flower, high and large like as the Serotinæ doe; but especially, for that the seede of a Media Tulipa did neuer bring forth a Præcox flower (although I know Clusius, an industrious, learned, and painfull searcher and publisher of these rarities, saith otherwise) so farre as euer I could, by mine owne care or knowledge, in sowing their seede apart, or the assurance of any others, the louers and sowers of Tulipa seede, obserue, learne, or know: and because also that the seede of the Serotinæ bringeth forth Medias, and the seede of Medias Serotinæ, they may well bee comprehended vnder the generall title of Serotinæ: But because they haue generally receiued the name Mediæ, or middle flowring Tulipas, to distinguish between them, and those that vsually doe flower after them; I am content to set them downe, and speake of them seuerally, as of three sorts. Vnto the place and ranke likewise of the Præcoces, or early flowring Tulipas, there are some other seuerall kinds of Tulipas to be added, which are notably differing, not onely from the former Præcox Tulipa, but euery one of them, one from another, in some speciall note or other: as the Tulipa Boloniensis flore rubro, the red Bolonia Tulipa. Tulipa Boloniensis flore luteo, the yellow Bolonia Tulipa. Tulipa Persica, Persian Tulipa. Tulipa Cretica, the Candie Tulipa, and others: all which shall bee described and entreated of, euery one apart by it selfe, in the end of the ranke of the Præcoces, because all of them flower much about their time. To begin then with the Præcox, or early flowring Tulipas, and after them with the Medias and Serotinas, I shall for the better method, diuide their flowers into foure primary or principall colours, that is to say, White, Purple, Red and Yellow, and vnder every one of these colours, set downe the seuerall varieties of mixtures we haue seene and obserued in them, that so they may be both the better described by me, and the better conceiued by others, and euery one placed in their proper ranke. Yet I shall in this, as I intend to doe in diuers other plants that are variable, giue but one description in generall of the plant, and then set downe the varietie of forme or colour afterwards briefly by themselues.
Tulipa præcox. The early flowring Tulipa.
The early Tulipa (and so all other Tulipas) springeth out of the ground with his leaues folded one within another, the first or lowest leafe riseth vp first, sharpe pointed, and folded round together, vntill it be an inch or two aboue the ground, which then openeth it selfe, shewing another leafe folded also in the bosome or belly of the first, which in time likewise opening it selfe, sheweth forth a third, and sometimes a fourth and a fifth: the lower leaues are larger then the vpper, and are faire, thicke, broad, long, and hollow like a gutter, and sometimes crumpled on the edges, which will hold water that falleth thereon a long time, of a pale or whitish greene colour, (and the Mediæ and Serotinæ more greene) couered ouer as it were with a mealinesse or hoarinesse, with an eye or shew of rednesse towards the bottome of the leaues, and the edges in this kinde being more notable white, which are two principall notes to know a Præcox Tulipa from a Media or Serotina: the stalke with the flower riseth vp in the middle, as it were through these leaues, which in time stand one aboue another, compassing it at certaine vnequall distances, and is often obserued to bend it selfe crookedly downe to the ground, as if it would thrust his head thereinto, but turning vp his head (which will be the flower) againe, afterwards standeth vpright, sometimes but three or foure fingers or inches high, but more often halfe a foote, and a foot high, but the Medias, and Serotinas much higher, carrying (for the most part) but one flower on the toppe thereof, like vnto a Lilly for the forme, consisting of sixe leaues, greene at the first, and afterwards changing into diuers and sundry seuerall colours and varieties, the bottomes likewise of the leaues of these sometimes, but most especially of the Mediæ, being as variable as the flower, which are in some yellow, or green, or blacke, in others white, blew, purple, or tawnie; and sometimes one colour circling another: some of them haue little or no sent at all, and some haue a better then others. After it hath been blowne open three or foure dayes or more, it will in the heate of the Sunne spread it selfe open, and lay it selfe almost flat to the stalke: in the middle of the flower standeth a greene long head (which will be the seed vessell) compassed about with sixe chiues, which doe much vary, in being sometimes of one, and sometimes of another colour, tipt with pendents diuersly varied likewise: the head in the middle of the flower groweth after the flower is fallen, to be long, round, and edged, as it were three square, the edges meeting at the toppe, where it is smallest, and making as it were a crowne (which is not seen in the head of any Lilly) and when it is ripe, diuideth it selfe on the inside into sixe rowes, of flat, thinne, brownish, gristly seede, very like vnto the seede of the Lillies, but brighter, stiffer, and more transparent: the roote being well growne is round, and somewhat great, small and pointed at the toppe, and broader, yet roundish at the bottome, with a certaine eminence or seate on the one side, as the roote of the Colchicum hath; but not so long, or great, it hath also an hollownesse on the one side (if it haue borne a flower) where the stalke grew, (for although in the time of the first springing vp, vntill it shew the budde for flower, the stalke with the leaues thereon rise vp out of the middle of the roote; yet when the stalke is risen vp, and sheweth the budde for flower, it commeth to one side, making an impression therein) couered ouer with a brownish thin coate or skin, like an Onion, hauing a little woollinesse at the bottome; but white within, and firme, yet composed of many coates, one folding within another, as the roote of the Daffodils be, of a reasonable good taste, neyther very sweete, nor yet vnpleasant. This description may well serue for the other Tulipas, being Medias or Serotinas, concerning their springing and bearing, which haue not any other great variety therein worth the note, which is not expressed here; the chiefe difference resting in the variety of the colours of the flower, and their seuerall mixtures and markes, as I said before: sauing onely, that the flowers of some are great and large, and of others smaller, and the leaues of some long and pointed, and of others broad and round, or bluntly pointed, as shall bee shewed in the end of the Chapter: I shall therefore onely expresse the colours, with the mixture or composure of them, and giue you withall the names of some of them, (for it is impossible I thinke to any man, to giue seuerall names to all varieties) as they are called by those that chiefly delight in them with vs.
| 1 | Tulipa præcox alba siue rubra, &c. vnius coloris. The early white or red Tulipa, &c. being of one colour. |
| 2 | Tulipa, præcox purpurea oris albis. The early purple Tulipa with white edges, or the Prince. |
| 3 | Tulipa præcox variegata. The early stript Tulipa. |
| 4 | Tulipa præcox rubra oris luteis. The early red Tulipa with yellow edges, or the Duke. |