2. Cyanus floridus Turcicus. The Sultans flower.
As a kinde of these Corne flowers, I must needes adioyne another stranger, of much beautie, and but lately obtained from Constantinople, where, because (as it is said) the great Turke, as we call him, saw it abroade, liked it, and wore it himselfe; all his vassals haue had it in great regard, and hath been obtained from them, by some that haue sent it into these parts. The leaues whereof are greener, and not only gashed, but finely snipt on the edges: the stalkes are three foote high, garnished with the like leaues as are below, and branched as the former, bearing large scaly heads, and such like flowers but larger, hauing eight or nine of those hollow gaping leaues in euery flower, standing about the middle threds (if it be planted in good and fertile ground and be well watered, for it soone starueth and perisheth with drought) the circling leaues are of a fine delayed purple or blush colour, very beautifull to behold; the seede of this is smaller and blacker, and not enclosed in so much dounie substance, as the former (yet in our Countrey the seede is not so blacke, as it came vnto vs, but more gray) the roote perisheth likewise euery yeere.
3. Cyanus Bæticus supinus. The Spanish Corne-flower.
This Spanish kinde hath many square low bending or creeping stalkes, not standing so vpright as the former, but branching out more diuersly; so that one plant will take vp a great deale of ground: the leaues are broader then any of the rest, softer also, of a pale or whitish greene colour, and not much gashed on the edges: the flowers stand in bigger heads, with foure or fiue leaues vnder euery head, and are of a light pale purple or blush colour; after which come seede, but not so plentifully, yet wrapped in a great deale of flockie matter, more then any: the roote groweth downe deepe into the ground, but perisheth euery yeare as they doe.
The Place.
The first or former kindes, grow many times in the Corne fields of our own Countrey, as well as of others, especially that sort with a blew flower: but the other sorts or colours are not so frequent, but are nourished in gardens, where they will vary wonderfully.
The second as is before set downe, groweth in Turkie: and the last in Spaine, found out and first sent to vs by that industrious searcher of simples, Guillaume Boel before remembred.
The Time.
The first doe flower in the end of Iune, and in Iuly, and sometimes sooner. The other two later, and not vntill August most commonly, and the seede is soone ripe after.