Gerard's Herbal Vol. 1
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Fig. 178. Starry Hyacinth (1) |
Fig. 179. White Flowered Starry Hyacinth (2) |
There be likewise bulbous or onion rooted plants that do orderly succeed, whereof some are to be eaten, as Onions, Garlic, Leeks, and Chives; nothwithstanding I am first to entreat of those bulbed roots, whose fair and beautiful flowers are received for their grace and ornament in gardens and garlands: the first are the Hyacinths, whereof there is found at this day divers sorts, differing very notably in many points as be declared in their several descriptions.
Fig. 180. Starry Hyacinths (3, 4, 6)
The Description.
1. The first kind of Hyacinth hath three very fat thick brown leaves, hollow like a little trough, very brittle, of the length of a finger: among which shoot up fat, thick brownish stalks, soft and very tender, and full of juice; whereupon do grow many small blue flowers consisting of six little leaves spread abroad like a star. The seed is contained in small round bullets, which are so ponderous or heavy that they lie trailing upon the ground. The root is bulbous or onion fashion, covered with brownish scales or films.
2. There is also a white flowered one of this kind.
3. There is found another of this kind which seldom or never hath more than two leaves. The roots are bulbed like the other. The flowers be whitish, star-fashion, tending to blueness, which I received of Robinus of Paris.
4. This kind of Hyacinth hath many broad leaves spread upon the ground, like unto those of Garden Lily, but shorter. The stalks do rise out of the midst thereof bare, naked; and very smooth, an handful high; at the top whereof do grow small blue flowers star-fashion, very like unto the precedent. The root is thick and full of juice, compact of many scaly cloves of a yellow colour.
There are some ten or eleven varieties of starry Hyacinths, besides these two mentioned by our author. They differ each from other either in the time of flowering (some of them flowering in the spring, other some in summer) in their bigness, or the colours of their flowers. The leaves of most of them are much like to our ordinary Hyacinth, or Hare-bells, and lie spread upon the ground. Their flowers in shape resemble the last described, but are usually more in number, and somewhat larger. The colour of most of them are blue or purple, one of them excepted, which is of an ash colour, and is known by the name of Somers his Hyacinth. I think it not amiss to give you their usual names, together with some of their figures; for so you may easily impose them truly upon the things themselves whensoever you shall see them.
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Fig. 181. Somers' Starry Hyacinth (8) |
Fig. 182. Greater Starry Summer Hyacinth (9) |
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Fig. 183. Lesser Starry Summer Hyacinth (10) |
Fig. 184. Hyacinth of Peru (13) |
5. Hyacinthus stellaris Byzantinus nigra radice, flore cæruleo. The blue starry Hyacinth of Constantinople, with the black root.
6. Hyacinthus stellatus Byzantinus major flore cæruleo. The greater blue starry Hyacinth of Constantiple.
7. Hyacinthus stellatus Byzantinus alter flore boraginis. The other blue starry Hyacinth of Constantinonople, with flowers somewhat resembling Borage.
8. Hyacinthus stellaris æstivus, siue exoticus Someri flore cinereo. Ash coloured starry Hyacinth, or Somers; Hyacinth.
9. Hyacinthus stellatus æstivus major. The greater starry summer Hyacinth.
10. Hyacinthus stellatus æstivus minor. The lesser starry summer Hyacinth.
11. Hyacinthus stellaris Poreti flore cæruleo striis purpureis. Poret's starry Hyacinth with blue Flower, hauing purple streaks alongst their middles.
12. Hyacinthus Hispanicus stellaris flore sature cæruleo. The Spanish starry Hyacinth with deepe blue flower.
13. There is another starry Hyacinth more large and beautiful than any of these before mentioned. The leaves are broad and not very long, spread upon the ground, and in the midst of them there riseth up a stalk which at the top beareth a great spike of fair starry flowers, which first begin to open themselves below, and to show themselves by little and little to the top of the stalk. The usual sort hereof hath blue or purple flowers. There is also a sort hereof which hath flesh-coloured flower, and another with white flowers: This is called Hyacinthus stellatus Peruanus, The starry Hyacinth of Peru.
Those who are studious in varieties of flower, and require larger descriptions of these, may have recourse to the works of the learned Carolus Clusius in Latin; or to M. Parkinson's work in English, where they may have full satisfaction.
The Place.
The three first mentioned Plants grow in many places of Germany in woods and mountains, as Fuchsius and Gesner do testify: In Bohemia also upon divers banks that are full of Herbes. In England we cherish most of these mentioned in this place, in our gardens, only for the beauty of their flower.
The Time.
The three first begin to flower in the midst of January, and bring forth their seed in May. The other flower in the spring.
The Names.
1. The first of these Hyacinths is called Hyacinthus stellatus,or Stellaris Fuchsii,of the star-like flowers: Narcissus cæruleus Bockii: of some, Flos Martius stellatus.
3. This by Lobel is thought to be Hyacinthus Bifolius, of Theophrastus: Tragus calls it Narcissus cæruleus: and Fuchsius, Hyacinthus cæruleus minor mas. We may call it in English, The small two leaved starry Hyacinth.
4. The Lily Hyacinth is called Hyacinthus Germanicus Lilliflorus, or German Hyacinth, taken from the country where it naturally groweth wild.
The Virtues.
The faculties of the starry Hyacinths are not written of by any. But the Lily-leaved Hyacinth, (which grows naturally in a hill in Aquitaine called Hos, where the herdmen call it Sarahug) is said by them to cause the heads of such cattle as feed thereon to swell exceedingly, and then kills them: which shows it hath a malign and poisonous quality. Clusius.