Vnder the name of Cyanus are comprehended, not onely those plants which from the excellent blew colour of their flowers (furnishing or rather pestering the Corne fieldes) haue peculiarly obtained that name, and which doth much vary also, in the colour of the flowers, as shall be shewed; but some other plants also for their neere resemblance, but with seuerall distinctions. The Cyanus maior, Ptarmica Austriaca, Ptarmica Imperati, and many others which may be adioyned vnto them, do more fitly belong to the Garden of Simples, whereunto I leaue them, and will here only entreate of those that may most please the delight of our Gentle Florists, in that I labour and striue, to furnish this our garden, with the chiefest choyse of natures beauties and delights.
All these sorts of Corne flowers are for the most part alike, both in leaues and flowers one vnto another for the forme: the difference betweene them consisteth in the varying colour of the flowers: For the leaues are long, and of a whitish greene colour, deeply cut in on the edges in some places, somewhat like vnto the leaues of a Scabious: the stalkes are two foote high or better, beset with such like leaues but smaller, and little or nothing cut in on the edges: the toppes are branched, bearing many small greene scaly heads, out of which rise flowers, consisting of fiue or sixe, or more long and hollow leaues, small at the bottome, and opening wider and greater at the brims, notched or cut in on the edges, and standing round about many small threds in the middle: the colours of these flowers are diuers, and very variable; for some are wholly blew, or white, or blush, or of a sad, or light purple, or of a light or dead red, or of an ouerworne purple colour, or else mixed of these colours, as some, the edges white, and the rest blew or purple, or the edges blew or purple, and the rest of the flower white, or striped, spotted, or halfed, the one part of one colour, and the other of another, the threds likewise in the middle varying in many of them; for some will haue the middle thrume of a deeper purple then the outer leaues, and some haue white or blush leaues, the middle thrume being reddish, deeper or paler. After the flowers are past, there come small, hard, white and shining seede in those heads, wrapped or set among a deale of flockie matter, as is most vsuall, in all plants that beare scaly heads: the rootes are long and hard, perishing euery yeare when it hath giuen seede.
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.
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 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 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.
The first is generally called Cyanus, and some following the Ditch name, call it Flos frumenti. The olde Writers gaue it the name of Bapti sæcuba, which is almost worne out. We doe call them in English, Blew Bottles, and in some places, Corne flowers, after the Ditch names. The second hath beene sent by the name of Ambreboi, which whether it be a Turkie or Arabian name, I know not. I haue called it from the place, from whence we had it, Turcicus, and for his beauty, Floridus. The Turkes themselues as I vnderstand, doe call it The Sultans flower, and I haue done so likewise, that it may bee distinguished from all the other kindes, or else you may call it, The Turkey blush Corne flower, which you please. The last was sent by the name of Iacea Bætica, but I had rather to referre it to the Cyanus, or Corne flowers, because the flowers are like vnto the Corne flowers, and not vnto the Iaceas or Knapweedes.
These had no vse in Physicke in Galen and Dioscorides time, in that (as it is thought) they haue made no mention of them: We in these dayes doe chiefly vse the first kindes (as also the greater sort) as a cooling Cordiall, and commended by some to be a remedy, not onely against the plague and pestilentiall diseases, but against the poison of Scorpions and Spiders.