Of faire haired Iacint.
The description (la descripción).
The faire haired Iacint hath long fat leaues, hollowed alõgst the inside, trogh fashion, as are most of the Hyacinthes, of a darke green colour, tending to rednes. The stalke riseth out of the midst of the leaues, bare & naked, soft & ful of flimie iuice, which are beset round about with many small flowers of an ouerworne purple colour: the top of the spike of flowers consisteth of a number of faire shining purple flowers, in maner of a tuft or bush of haires, whereof it tooke his name Comosus, or faire haired. The seed is conteined in small bullets, of a shining blacke colour, as are most of those of the Iacints. The roote is Bulbus or Onion fashion, full of flimie iuice with some hairie threds, fastened vnto his bottom. 2 White haired Iacint differeth not from the precedent in rootes, stalkes, leaues or seede. The flowers heerof are of a darke white colour, with some blacknes in the hollow part of them, which setteth foorth the difference. Of this kinde I receiued another sort from Constantinople, resembling the first hairie Iacint very notably: but differeth in that, that this is altogether greater, aswell in leaues, rootes and flowers, as also is of greater beautie without all comparison. 1 Hyacinthus comosus. Faire haired Iacint. 2 Hyacinthus comosus albus. White haired Iacint. 3 Hyacinthus Botryoides cæruleus. Blew Grape flower. 4 Hyacinthus Botryoides cæruleus maior. Great Grape flower. 3 The small Grape flower hath many long fat and weake leaues, trailing vpon the ground, hollow in the middle like a little trough, full of slimie iuice like the other Iacints: among which come foorth thicke, soft, smooth and weake stalkes, leaning this way and that way, as not able to stand vpright, by reason it is surcharged with very heauie flowers on his top, consisting of many little bottle-like blew flowers, closely thrust or packt togither like a bunch of grapes, of a strong smell, yet not vnpleasant, somewhat resembling the sauour of the Orenge. The roote is round and Bulbus, set about with infinite yoong cloues or rootes, whereby it greatly encreaseth. 4 The great Grape flower is verie like vnto the smaller of his kinde. The difference consisteth in that this plant is altogither greater, but the leaues are not so long. 5 Hyacinthus botryoides Cæruleus amœnus. Skie coloured Grape flower. <column-break/> 6 Hyacinthus botryoides lacteus. White Grape flower. <column-break/> 5 The skie coloured Grape flower hath a few leaues in respect of the other Grape flowers, the which are shorter, fuller of iuice, stiffe and vpright, whereas the others traile vpon the ground. The flowers grow at the top, thrust or packt togither like a bunch of Grapes, of a pleasant bright skie colour, euerie little bottle-like flower, set about the hollow entrance with small white spots, not easie to be perceiued. The rootes are like the former. 6 The white Grape flower differeth not from the skie coloured Iacint, but in the colour of flowers: for this Iacint is of a pleasant white colour tending to yellownesse, tipped about the hollow part with white, whiter than white it selfe, otherwise there is no difference.
The place (el lugar).
These plants are kept in gardens for the beautie of their flowers, wherewith our London gardens do abound.
The time (la época).
They flower from February to the end of May.
The names (los nombres).
The Grape flower is called Hyacinthus Botryoides, and Hyacinthus Neoticorum Dodonæi: of some Bulbus esculentus, Hyacinthus sylvestris Cordi, Hyacinthus exiguus Tragi. The faire haired Iacints are touched in their title, for so much as is extant of them in writing.
The vertues (las virtudes).
There is not any thing set down of the ancient or later writers, of the nature and vertues of these, but they are referred unto the other Iacints.
Texto en la ortografía original de Gerard, en inglés de 1597 (la s larga se imprime como s), transcrito por la Source Library (CC BY-SA 4.0). Un capítulo puede continuar en páginas aún no transcritas. Gerard escribía dentro de la medicina galénica; nada de esto es un consejo.