Clematis peregrina flore carneo pleno.
In the great booke of the Garden of the Bishop of Eystot (which place is neere vnto Noromberg) in Germany, I reade of a Clematis of this former kinde, whose figure is thereto also annexed, with double flowers of an incarnate, or pale purple tending to a blush colour, whereof I haue not heard from any other place.
8. Flammula Iouis erecta. Vpright Virgins Bower.
This kinde of Clematis hath diuers more vpright stalkes then any of the foure last described, sometimes foure or fiue foote high, or more: yet leaning or bending a little, so that it had some neede of sustaining, couered with a brownish barke; from whence come forth on all sides diuers winged leaues, consisting of fiue or seuen leaues, set on both sides of a middle ribbe, whereof one is at the end: the tops of the stalkes are diuided into many branches, bearing many white sweet smelling flowers on them, like in fashion vnto the white Virgins Bower; after which come such like feather topt seede, which remaine and shew themselues, being flat like the other, when the plumes are blowne abroad: the roote spreadeth in the ground from a thicke head, into many long strings, and fasteneth it selfe strongly in the earth; but all the stalkes dye downe euery yeare, and spring afresh in the beginning of the next.
9. Clematis cærulea Pannonica. The Hungarian Climer.
The stalks of this plant stand vpright, & are foure square, bearing at euery ioynt two leaues, which at the first are closed together, and after they are open, are somewhat like vnto the leaues of Asclepias, or Swallow-wort: from the tops of the stalks, and sometimes also from the sides by the leaues commeth forth one flower, bending the head downward, consisting of foure leaues, somewhat long & narrow, standing like a crosse, and turning vp their ends a little againe, of a faire blew or skie colour, with a thicke pale yellow short thrumme, made like a head in the middle: after the flower is past, the head turneth into such a like round feather topt ball, as is to be seene in the Trauellers ioy, or Viorna (as it is called) that groweth plentifully in Kent, and in other places by the way sides, and in the hedges, wherein is included such like flat seede. These stalkes (like as the last) dye downe to the ground euery yeare, and rise againe in the Spring following, shooting out new branches, and therby encreaseth in the root.
10. Maracoc siue Clematis Virginiana. The Virginia Climer.
Because this braue and too much desired plant doth in some things resemble the former Climers, so that vnto what other family or kindred I might better conioyne it I know not; let me I pray insert it in the end of their Chapter, with this description. It riseth out of the ground (very late in the yeare, about the beginning of May, if it be a plant hath risen from the seed of our owne sowing, and if it be an old one, such as hath been brought to vs from Virginia, not till the end thereof) with a round stalke, not aboue a yard and a halfe high (in any that I haue seene) but in hotter Countries, as some Authors haue set it downe, much higher, bearing one leafe at euery ioynt, which from the ground to the middle thereof hath no claspers, but from thence vpwards hath at the same ioynt with the leafe both a small twining clasper, like vnto a Vine, and a flower also: euery leafe is broad at the stalke thereof, and diuided about the middle on both sides, making it somewhat resemble a Figge leafe, ending in three points, whereof the middlemost is longest: the bud of the flower, before it doe open, is very like vnto the head or seede vessell of the ordinary single Nigella, hauing at the head or top fiue small crooked hornes, which when this bud openeth, are the ends or points of fiue leaues, that are white on the inside, and lay themselues flat, like vnto an Anemone, and are a little hollow like a scoope at the end, with fiue other smaller leaues, and whiter then they lying betweene them, which were hid in the bud before it opened, so that this flower being full blowne open, consisteth of ten white leaues, laide in order round one by another: from the bottome of these leaues on the inside, rise diuers twined threads, which spread and lay themselues all ouer these white leaues, reaching beyond the points of them a little, and are of a reddish peach colour: towards the bottomes likewise of these white leaues there are two red circles, about the breadth of an Oten strawe, one distant from another (and in some flowers there is but one circle seen) which adde a great grace vnto the flower; for the white leaues shew their colour through the peach coloured threads, and these red circles or rings vpon them being also perspicuous, make a tripartite shew of colours most delightfull: the middle part of this flower is hollow, and yellowish; in the bottome whereof riseth vp an vmbone, or round stile, somewhat bigge, of a whitish greene colour, spotted with reddish spots like the stalkes of Dragons, with fiue round threads or chiues, spotted in the like manner, and tipt at the ends with yellow pendents, standing about the middle part of the said vmbone, and from thence rising higher, endeth in three long crooked hornes most vsually (but sometimes in foure, as hath beene obserued in Rome by Dʳ. Aldine, that set forth some principall things of Cardinall Farnesius his Garden) spotted like the rest, hauing three round greene buttons at their ends: these flowers are of a comfortable sweete sent, very acceptable, which perish without yeelding fruit with vs, because it flowreth so late: but in the naturall place, and in hot Countries, it beareth a small round whitish fruit, with a crowne at the toppe thereof, wherein is contained (while it is fresh, and before it be ouer dried) a sweet liquor, but when it is dry, the seede within it, which is small, flat, somewhat rough and blacke, will make a ratling noise: the rootes are composed of a number of exceeding long and round yellowish browne strings, spreading farre abroad vnder the ground (I haue seene some rootes that haue beene brought ouer, that were as long as any rootes of Sarsaparilla, and a great deale bigger, which to be handsomely laid into the ground, were faine to be coyled like a cable) and shooting vp in seuerall places a good distance one from another, whereby it may be well encreased.
The Iesuites Figure of the Maracoc.
