Of Muscari, or Musked grape flower.

| | | |---|---| | 1 Muscari flavum. | 2 Muscari Clusii. | | Yellow musked Grape flower. | Ash coloured Grape flower. |

The description (la descripción).

1 Yellow Muscarie hath five or sixe long leaves spread upon the ground, thicke, fat, and full of slimie iuice, turning and winding themselves crookedly this way and that way, hollowed alongst the middle like a trough, as are those of faire haired Iacint, which at the first budding or springing up are of a purplish colour; but being growen to perfection, become of a darke greene colour: amongst the which leaves rise up naked, thicke & fat stalkes, infirme and weake in respect of the greatnes thereof, lying also upon the ground as do the leaves: set from the middle to the top on every side with many yellow flowers, every one made like a small pitcher or little boxe, with a narrow mouth; exceeding sweete of smell like the favour of muske, whereof it tooke the name Muscari. The seede is inclosed in puffed or blowen up cods, confusedly made without order, of a fat and spungious substance: wherein is contained round blacke seede. The roote is Bulbus or Onion fashion, whereunto are annexed certaine fat and thicke strings like those of Dogs grasse. 2 Ash coloured Muscari or grape flower, hath larg and fat leaves like the precedent, not differing in any point, saving that these leaves at their first springing up are of a pale dustie colour like ashes. The flowers are likewise sweete, but of a pale bleake colour, wherein consisteth the difference.

The place (el lugar).

These plants came from beyond Bosphorus in Asia, and about Constantinople, the which by the meanes of friends haue been brought into these parts of Europe, whereof our London gardens are possessed.

The time (la época).

They flower in March and Aprill, and sometimes after.

The names (los nombres).

They are called generally Muscari, in the Thuscane or Turkie toong Muschoromi, Muscurimi, Tipcadi, and Dipcadi, of their pleasant sweete smell: of Mathiolus, Bulbus Vomitorius. These plants may be referred vnto the Hyacinthes, whereof vndoubtedly they be kinds.

The vertues (las virtudes).

There hath not as yet any thing been touched concerning the nature or vertues of these plants, onely they are kept and maintained in gardens for the pleasant smell of their flowers, but not for their beautie, for that many stinking field flowers do in beautie far surpasse them. But it should seem that Mathiolus called them Vomitorius, in that they procure vomiting, which of other auctors hath not been remembered.