Chap. XLV.
Chamænerium flore delphinij.
The Willowe flower.
This plant riseth vp with many strong, woddy, round, brownish great stalkes, three or foure foote high, beset here and there without order, with one broad and long whitish greene leafe at a ioynt, somewhat like vnto a Lysimachia, or Willowe herbe, as also vnto a Peach leafe, but larger and longer: at the toppe of the branches stand many flowers one aboue another, of a pale reddish purple colour, consisting of fiue leaues, spread open with an heele or spurre behinde them, with many yellow threads in the middle, much larger then any flower of the Larkes spurres, and smelling somewhat sweete withall; it beareth a shew of long pods with seede, but I could neuer obserue the seede: the rootes are like the rootes of Lysimachia, or the ordinary yellow Loose-strife, or Willowe herbe, but greater: running and spreading vnder ground, and shooting vp in many places, whereby it filleth a ground that it likes quickly: the stalkes dye downe euery yeare, and spring againe in many places farre asunder.
The Place.
Wee haue not knowne where this Willowe flower groweth naturally, but we haue it standing in an out corner of our Gardens, to fill vp the number of delightfull flowers.
The Time.
It flowreth not vntill May, and abideth a long while flowring.
The Names.
It may seeme to diuers, that this is that plant that Dodonæus called Pseudolysimachium purpureum minus, and Lobel seemeth by the name of Delphinium buccinum to aime at this plant, but withall calleth it Chamænerium Gesneri, and giueth the same figure that Dodonæus hath for his Pseudolysimachium: But that is one kinde of plant (which hath smaller and shorter stalkes, and very narrow long leaues, whose flowers stand vpon long slender cods, full of downe, with reddish seede, like vnto the Lysimachia siliquosa siluestris, and rootes that abide many yeares, but creepe not) and this is another, much greater, whose true figure is not extant in any Author that I know. It is vsually called Chamænerium flore delphinij; but the name of Delphinium buccinum in my minde may not so conueniently be applyed vnto it. It is called in English, The Willowe flower, for the likenesse of the leaues, and the beauty and respect of the flowers.
The Vertues.
There is no vse hereof in Physicke that euer I could learne, but is onely cherished among other sorts of flowers, that serue to decke and set forth a Garden of varieties.