There are yet some other kindes of red Lillies to bee described, which differ from all the former, and remaine to be spoken of in this place. Some of them grow high, and some lowe, some haue small knots, which wee call bulbes, growing vpon the stalkes, at the ioynts of the leaues or flowers, and some haue none: all which shall be intreated of in their seuerall orders.
The dwarfe red Lilly hath a scaly roote, somewhat like vnto other Lillies, but white, and not yellow at all, and the cloues or scales thicker, shorter, and fewer in number, then in most of the former: the stalke hereof is not aboue a foote and a halfe high, round and greene, set confusedly with many faire and short greene leaues, on the toppe of which doe stand sometimes but a few flowers, and sometimes many, of a faire purplish red colour, and a little paler in the middle, euery flower standing vpright, and not hanging downe, as in the former, on the leaues whereof here and there are some blacke spots, lines or markes, and in the middle of the flower a long pointell, with some chiues about it, as is in the rest of these Lillies.
This kinde is sometimes found to yeeld double flowers, as if all the single flowers should grow into one, and so make it consist of many leaues, which notwithstanding his so continuing sundry yeares, vpon transplanting, will redire ad ingenium, that is, quickly come againe to his old byas or forme.
| 1 | Martagon rubrum siue luteum. The red or the yellow Martagon. |
| 2 | Lilium Bulbiferum. The red bulbed Lilly. |
| 3 | Lilium aureum. The gold red Lilly. |
| 4 | Lilium album. The white Lilly. |
The second red Lilly without bulbes groweth much higher then the first, and almost as high as any other Lilly: the roote hereof is white and scaly, the leaues are somewhat longer, and of a darke or sad greene colour; the flowers are many and large, standing vpright as all these sorts of red Lillies doe, of a paler red colour tending to an Orenge on the inside, with many blacke spots and lines on them, as in the former, and more yellow on the outside: the seede vessels are like vnto the roundish heads of other Lillies, and so are the seedes in them likewise.
The first of the Lillies that carrieth bulbes on the stalke, hath a white scaly roote like the former; from whence riseth vp a small round stalke, not much higher then the first dwarfe Lilly, seeming to be edged, hauing many leaues thereon of a sad green colour set about it, close thrust together: the greene heads for flowers, will haue a kind of woollinesse on them, before the flowers begin to open, and betweene these heads of flowers, as also vnder them, and among the vppermost leaues, appeare small bulbes or heads, which being ripe if they be put into the ground, or if they fall of themselues, will shoote forth leaues, and beare flowers within two or three yeares like the mother plant, and so will the bulbes of the other hereafter described: the flowers of this Lilly are of a faire gold yellow colour, shadowed ouer with a shew of purple, but not so red as the first, or the next to bee described. This Lilly will shoote strings vnder ground, like as the last red Lilly will doe also, whereat will grow white bulbed roots, like the rootes of the mother plant, thereby quickly encreasing it selfe.
The second bulbed Lilly riseth vp with his stalke as high as any of these Lillies, carrying many long and narrow darke greene leaues about it, and at the toppe many faire red flowers, as large or larger then any of the former, and of a deeper red colour, with spots on them likewise, hauing greater bulbes growing about the toppe of the stalke and among the flowers, then any else.
The difference of this doth chiefly consist in the flower, which is composed of manie leaues, as if many flowers went to make one, spotted with black spots, and without any bulbes when it thus beareth, which is but accidentall, as the former double Lilly is said to be.
The third red Lilly with bulbes, riseth vp almost as high as the last, and is the most common kinde we haue bearing bulbes. It hath many leaues about the stalke, but not of so sad a greene colour as the former: the flowers are of as pale a reddish yellow colour as any of the former, and comming neerest vnto the colour of the Gold red Lilly. This is more plentifull in bulbes, and in shooting strings, to encrease rootes vnder ground, then the others.
These Lillies doe all grow in Gardens, but their naturall places of growing is the Mountaines and the Vallies neere them in Italy, as Matthiolus saith: and in many Countries of Germany, as Hungarie, Austria, Stiria, and Bohemia, as Clusius and other doe report.
They flower for the most part in Iune, yet the first of these is the earliest of all the rest.
All these Lillies are called Lilia Rubra, Red Lillies: Some call them Lilium Aureum, Lilium Purpureum, Lilium Puniceum, & Lilium Cruentum. Some also call them Martagon Chimistarum. Clusius calleth these bulbed Lillies Martagon Bulbiferum. It is thought to be Hyacinthus Poetarum, but I referre the discussing thereof to a fitter time. Wee haue, to distinguish them most fitly (as I take it) giuen their proper names in their seuerall titles.