Chap. XVIII.Sisyrinchium.The Spanish Nut.Ican doe no otherwise then make a peculiar Chapter of this plant, because it is neither aCrocus, although in the roote it come somewhat neare vnto that kinde that is netted; but in no other part agreeing with any the delineaments of a Saffron flower, and therefore could not be thrust intothe Chapteramongst them: neither can I place it in the forefront ofthe Chapterof theIris bulbosa, or bulbous Flowerdeluces, because it doth not belong to that Family: and although the flower thereof doth most resemble a Flowerdeluce, yet in that no other parts thereof doe fitly agree thereunto, I haue rather chosen to seate it by it selfe betweene them both, as partaking of both natures, and so may serue in stead of a bridge, to passe from the one to the other, that is, from theCrocusor Saffron flower, to theIris bulbosaor bulbous rooted Flowerdeluce, which shall follow in thenext Chapterby themselues.The Spanish Nut hath two long and narrow, soft and smooth greene leaues, lying for the most part vpon the ground, and sometimes standing vp, yet bending downewards; betweene these leaues riseth vp a small stalke, halfe a foote high, hauing diuers smooth soft greene leaues vpon it, as if they were skinnes, through which the stalke passeth; at the toppe whereof stand diuers flowers, rising one after another, and not all flowring at once: for seldome shall you haue aboue one flower blowne at a time, each whereof doth so quickly passe and fade away, that one may well say, that it is but one dayes flower, or rather the flower of a few houres: the flower it selfe hath nine leaues, like vnto a Flowerdeluce, whereof the three that fall downe, haue in each of them a yellow spot: the other three, which in the Flowerdeluces are hollow and ridged, couering the other three that fall downe, in this stand vpright, and are parted at the ends: the three that stand vp in the middle are small and short: the whole flower is smaller then any Flowerdeluce, but of sundry colours; for some are of an excellent skie colour blew, others of a Violet purple, others of a darker purple colour, and some white, and many others mixed, either pale blew and deepe purple, or white and blewmixed or striped together very variably, quickly fading as I said before: the seede is enclosed in small cods, so thinne and transparent that one may easily see, and tell the seeds as they lye, which are of a brownish red colour: the roote is small, blackish and round, wrapped in a thicke skinne or huske, made like vnto a net, or somewhat like vnto the roote of the cloth of gold Crocus: when the plant is in flower, it is found to haue two rootes one aboue another, whereof the vppermost is firme and sound, and the vndermost loose and spongie, in like manner as is found in the rootes of diuers Orchides or Satyrions, Bee-flowers and the like, and without any good taste, or sweetnesse at all, although Clusius saith otherwise.Sisyrinchium Mauritanicum.The Barbary Nut.There is another of this kinde, not differing from the former in any other notable part, but in the flower, which in this is of a delayed purplish red colour, hauing in each of the three lower leaues a white spot, in stead of the yellow in the former, but are as soone fading as they.The Place.The former doe grow very plentifully in many parts both of Spaine and Portugall, where Guillaume Boel, a Dutch man heretofore remembred often in this Booke, found them; of the sundry colours specified, whereas Clusius maketh mention but of one colour that he found.The other was found in that part of Barbary, where Fez and Morocco do stand, and brought first into the Lowe-Countries: but they are both very tender, and will hardly abide the hard Winters of these colder regions.The Time.The first flowreth in May and Iune, the last not vntill August.The Names.The nameSisyrinchiumis generally imposed vpon this plant, by all authors that haue written thereof, thinking it to bee the rightSisyrinchiumof Theophrastus: but concerning the Spanish nameNozelha, which Clusius saith it is called by in Spaine, I haue beene credibly enformed by the aforenamed Boel, that this roote is not so called in those parts; but that the small or common stript Crocus is calledNozelha, which is sweete in taste, and desired very greedily by the Shepheards and Children, and that the roote of thisSisyrinchiumor Spanish Nut, is without any taste, and is not eaten. And againe, that there is not two kindes, although it grow greater, and with more flowers, in those places that are neare the Sea, where both the washing of the Sea water, and the moisture and ayre of the Sea, causeth the ground to bee more fertile. This I thought good, from the true relation of a friend, to giue the world to vnderstand, that truth might expell errour.The Vertues.These haue not beene knowne to bee vsed to any Physicall purpose, but wholly neglected, vnlesse some may eate them, as Clusius reporteth.
Chap. XVIII.Sisyrinchium.The Spanish Nut.Ican doe no otherwise then make a peculiar Chapter of this plant, because it is neither aCrocus, although in the roote it come somewhat neare vnto that kinde that is netted; but in no other part agreeing with any the delineaments of a Saffron flower, and therefore could not be thrust intothe Chapteramongst them: neither can I place it in the forefront ofthe Chapterof theIris bulbosa, or bulbous Flowerdeluces, because it doth not belong to that Family: and although the flower thereof doth most resemble a Flowerdeluce, yet in that no other parts thereof doe fitly agree thereunto, I haue rather chosen to seate it by it selfe betweene them both, as partaking of both natures, and so may serue in stead of a bridge, to passe from the one to the other, that is, from theCrocusor Saffron flower, to theIris bulbosaor bulbous rooted Flowerdeluce, which shall follow in thenext Chapterby themselues.The Spanish Nut hath two long and narrow, soft and smooth greene leaues, lying for the most part vpon the ground, and sometimes standing vp, yet bending downewards; betweene these leaues riseth vp a small stalke, halfe a foote high, hauing diuers smooth soft greene leaues vpon it, as if they were skinnes, through which the stalke passeth; at the toppe whereof stand diuers flowers, rising one after another, and not all flowring at once: for seldome shall you haue aboue one flower blowne at a time, each whereof doth so quickly passe and fade away, that one may well say, that it is but one dayes flower, or rather the flower of a few houres: the flower it selfe hath nine leaues, like vnto a Flowerdeluce, whereof the three that fall downe, haue in each of them a yellow spot: the other three, which in the Flowerdeluces are hollow and ridged, couering the other three that fall downe, in this stand vpright, and are parted at the ends: the three that stand vp in the middle are small and short: the whole flower is smaller then any Flowerdeluce, but of sundry colours; for some are of an excellent skie colour blew, others of a Violet purple, others of a darker purple colour, and some white, and many others mixed, either pale blew and deepe purple, or white and blewmixed or striped together very variably, quickly fading as I said before: the seede is enclosed in small cods, so thinne and transparent that one may easily see, and tell the seeds as they lye, which are of a brownish red colour: the roote is small, blackish and round, wrapped in a thicke skinne or huske, made like vnto a net, or somewhat like vnto the roote of the cloth of gold Crocus: when the plant is in flower, it is found to haue two rootes one aboue another, whereof the vppermost is firme and sound, and the vndermost loose and spongie, in like manner as is found in the rootes of diuers Orchides or Satyrions, Bee-flowers and the like, and without any good taste, or sweetnesse at all, although Clusius saith otherwise.Sisyrinchium Mauritanicum.The Barbary Nut.There is another of this kinde, not differing from the former in any other notable part, but in the flower, which in this is of a delayed purplish red colour, hauing in each of the three lower leaues a white spot, in stead of the yellow in the former, but are as soone fading as they.The Place.The former doe grow very plentifully in many parts both of Spaine and Portugall, where Guillaume Boel, a Dutch man heretofore remembred often in this Booke, found them; of the sundry colours specified, whereas Clusius maketh mention but of one colour that he found.The other was found in that part of Barbary, where Fez and Morocco do stand, and brought first into the Lowe-Countries: but they are both very tender, and will hardly abide the hard Winters of these colder regions.The Time.The first flowreth in May and Iune, the last not vntill August.The Names.The nameSisyrinchiumis generally imposed vpon this plant, by all authors that haue written thereof, thinking it to bee the rightSisyrinchiumof Theophrastus: but concerning the Spanish nameNozelha, which Clusius saith it is called by in Spaine, I haue beene credibly enformed by the aforenamed Boel, that this roote is not so called in those parts; but that the small or common stript Crocus is calledNozelha, which is sweete in taste, and desired very greedily by the Shepheards and Children, and that the roote of thisSisyrinchiumor Spanish Nut, is without any taste, and is not eaten. And againe, that there is not two kindes, although it grow greater, and with more flowers, in those places that are neare the Sea, where both the washing of the Sea water, and the moisture and ayre of the Sea, causeth the ground to bee more fertile. This I thought good, from the true relation of a friend, to giue the world to vnderstand, that truth might expell errour.The Vertues.These haue not beene knowne to bee vsed to any Physicall purpose, but wholly neglected, vnlesse some may eate them, as Clusius reporteth.
Ican doe no otherwise then make a peculiar Chapter of this plant, because it is neither aCrocus, although in the roote it come somewhat neare vnto that kinde that is netted; but in no other part agreeing with any the delineaments of a Saffron flower, and therefore could not be thrust intothe Chapteramongst them: neither can I place it in the forefront ofthe Chapterof theIris bulbosa, or bulbous Flowerdeluces, because it doth not belong to that Family: and although the flower thereof doth most resemble a Flowerdeluce, yet in that no other parts thereof doe fitly agree thereunto, I haue rather chosen to seate it by it selfe betweene them both, as partaking of both natures, and so may serue in stead of a bridge, to passe from the one to the other, that is, from theCrocusor Saffron flower, to theIris bulbosaor bulbous rooted Flowerdeluce, which shall follow in thenext Chapterby themselues.
The Spanish Nut hath two long and narrow, soft and smooth greene leaues, lying for the most part vpon the ground, and sometimes standing vp, yet bending downewards; betweene these leaues riseth vp a small stalke, halfe a foote high, hauing diuers smooth soft greene leaues vpon it, as if they were skinnes, through which the stalke passeth; at the toppe whereof stand diuers flowers, rising one after another, and not all flowring at once: for seldome shall you haue aboue one flower blowne at a time, each whereof doth so quickly passe and fade away, that one may well say, that it is but one dayes flower, or rather the flower of a few houres: the flower it selfe hath nine leaues, like vnto a Flowerdeluce, whereof the three that fall downe, haue in each of them a yellow spot: the other three, which in the Flowerdeluces are hollow and ridged, couering the other three that fall downe, in this stand vpright, and are parted at the ends: the three that stand vp in the middle are small and short: the whole flower is smaller then any Flowerdeluce, but of sundry colours; for some are of an excellent skie colour blew, others of a Violet purple, others of a darker purple colour, and some white, and many others mixed, either pale blew and deepe purple, or white and blewmixed or striped together very variably, quickly fading as I said before: the seede is enclosed in small cods, so thinne and transparent that one may easily see, and tell the seeds as they lye, which are of a brownish red colour: the roote is small, blackish and round, wrapped in a thicke skinne or huske, made like vnto a net, or somewhat like vnto the roote of the cloth of gold Crocus: when the plant is in flower, it is found to haue two rootes one aboue another, whereof the vppermost is firme and sound, and the vndermost loose and spongie, in like manner as is found in the rootes of diuers Orchides or Satyrions, Bee-flowers and the like, and without any good taste, or sweetnesse at all, although Clusius saith otherwise.
There is another of this kinde, not differing from the former in any other notable part, but in the flower, which in this is of a delayed purplish red colour, hauing in each of the three lower leaues a white spot, in stead of the yellow in the former, but are as soone fading as they.
The Place.The former doe grow very plentifully in many parts both of Spaine and Portugall, where Guillaume Boel, a Dutch man heretofore remembred often in this Booke, found them; of the sundry colours specified, whereas Clusius maketh mention but of one colour that he found.The other was found in that part of Barbary, where Fez and Morocco do stand, and brought first into the Lowe-Countries: but they are both very tender, and will hardly abide the hard Winters of these colder regions.
The former doe grow very plentifully in many parts both of Spaine and Portugall, where Guillaume Boel, a Dutch man heretofore remembred often in this Booke, found them; of the sundry colours specified, whereas Clusius maketh mention but of one colour that he found.
The other was found in that part of Barbary, where Fez and Morocco do stand, and brought first into the Lowe-Countries: but they are both very tender, and will hardly abide the hard Winters of these colder regions.
The Time.The first flowreth in May and Iune, the last not vntill August.
The first flowreth in May and Iune, the last not vntill August.
The Names.The nameSisyrinchiumis generally imposed vpon this plant, by all authors that haue written thereof, thinking it to bee the rightSisyrinchiumof Theophrastus: but concerning the Spanish nameNozelha, which Clusius saith it is called by in Spaine, I haue beene credibly enformed by the aforenamed Boel, that this roote is not so called in those parts; but that the small or common stript Crocus is calledNozelha, which is sweete in taste, and desired very greedily by the Shepheards and Children, and that the roote of thisSisyrinchiumor Spanish Nut, is without any taste, and is not eaten. And againe, that there is not two kindes, although it grow greater, and with more flowers, in those places that are neare the Sea, where both the washing of the Sea water, and the moisture and ayre of the Sea, causeth the ground to bee more fertile. This I thought good, from the true relation of a friend, to giue the world to vnderstand, that truth might expell errour.
The nameSisyrinchiumis generally imposed vpon this plant, by all authors that haue written thereof, thinking it to bee the rightSisyrinchiumof Theophrastus: but concerning the Spanish nameNozelha, which Clusius saith it is called by in Spaine, I haue beene credibly enformed by the aforenamed Boel, that this roote is not so called in those parts; but that the small or common stript Crocus is calledNozelha, which is sweete in taste, and desired very greedily by the Shepheards and Children, and that the roote of thisSisyrinchiumor Spanish Nut, is without any taste, and is not eaten. And againe, that there is not two kindes, although it grow greater, and with more flowers, in those places that are neare the Sea, where both the washing of the Sea water, and the moisture and ayre of the Sea, causeth the ground to bee more fertile. This I thought good, from the true relation of a friend, to giue the world to vnderstand, that truth might expell errour.
The Vertues.These haue not beene knowne to bee vsed to any Physicall purpose, but wholly neglected, vnlesse some may eate them, as Clusius reporteth.
These haue not beene knowne to bee vsed to any Physicall purpose, but wholly neglected, vnlesse some may eate them, as Clusius reporteth.