Of the crowne Imperiall.

11 Corona Imperialis. The crowne Imperiall. <column-break/> 12 Corona Imperialis, duplici corona. The double crowne Imperiall. <column-break/>

The description (la descripción).

11 The crowne Imperiall hath for his roote a thicke, firme, and solide bulbe, couered with a yellowish filme or skin: from the which riseth vp a great thicke fat stalke, two cubits high, in the bare or naked part of a darke ouerworne dustie purple colour. The leaues grow confusedly about the stalke, like those of the white Lillie, but narrower. The flowers grow at the top of the stalke, compassing it round about in forme of an Imperiall crowne, (whereof it tooke his name) hanging their heads downward as it were bels: in colour it is yellowish, or to giue you the true colour, which by words otherwise cannot be expressed, if you lay sap berries in steepe in faire water for the space of two houres, and mixe a little Saffron with that infusion, and laie it vpon paper, it sheweth the perfect colour to limne, or illumine the flower withall. The backside of the said flower is straked with purplish lines, which doth greatly set forth the beautie thereof. In the bottome of ech of these bels there is placed sixe drops of most cleere shining sweete water, in taste like sugar, resembling in shew faire orient pearles; the which drops if you take away, there doe immediately appeere the like, as well in bignes as also in sweetenes: notwithstanding if they may be suffered to stande still in the flower according to his owne nature, they will neuer fall away, no not if you strike the plant, vntill it be broken: among these drops there standeth out a certaine pestell, as also sundrie small chiues, tipped with small pendents, like those of the Lillie. Aboue the whole flowers there groweth a tuft of greene leaues like those vpon the stalks, but smaller. After the flowers be faded, there followe cods or seede vessels fixe square, in shape like the wheeles of a Iacke to turne the spit, or like the nut of a crosse-bowe, wherein is conteined flat seedes, tough and limmer, of the colour of the spice called mace. The whole plant as well rootes as flowers do sauour or smell verie loathsomly like the foxe. As the plant groweth old, so doth it waxe rich, bringing foorth a crowne of flowers amongst the vppermost greene leaues, which some make a second kinde, although in truth they are but one and the selfe-same, which in time is thought to growe to a triple crowne, which hapneth by the age of the roote, & fertility of the soile; whose figure or type I haue thought good to adioine with that picture also which in the time of his infancie it had.

The place (el lugar).

This plant likewise hath been brought from Constantinople amongst other bulbus rootes, and made denizons in our London gardens, whereof I haue great plentie.

The time (la época).

It flowreth in Aprill, and somtimes in March when as the weather is warme and pleasant.

The names (los nombres).

This rare and strange plant is called in Latin Corona Imperialis, and Lilium Bizantinum: of the Turkes themselues Cauale lale, and Tusai. And as diuers haue sent into these parts, of these rootes at sundry times, so haue they likewise sent them by sundry names, some by the name Tusai, others Tousai, and Tuyschiachi, and likewise Turfani and Turfanda.

The vertues (las virtudes).

The vertues of this admirable plant is not yet knowne, neither his faculties or temperature in working.