Home › Contents › Of the Crowne Imperiall

Of the Crowne Imperiall

The Description.

THe Crowne Imperiall hath for his root a thicke firme and solid bulbe, covered with a yellowish filme or skinne, from the which riseth up a great thicke fat stalke two cubits high, in the bare and naked part of a darke overworne dusky purple colour. The leaves grow confusedly about the stalke like those of the white Lilly, but narrower: the floures grow at the top of the stalke, incompassing it round, 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 give you the true colour, which by words otherwise cannot be expressed, if you lay sap berries in steep in faire water for the space of two houres, and mix a little saffron in that infusion, and lay it upon paper, it sheweth the perfect colour to limne or illumine the floure withall. The back side of the said floure is streaked with purplish lines, which doth greatly set forth the beauty therof. In the bottom of each of these bels there is placed sixe drops of most cleare shining sweet water, in taste like sugar, resembling in shew faire orient pearles; the which drops if you take away, there do immediatly appeare the like: notwithstanding if they may be suffered to stand still in the floure according to his own nature, they will never fall away, no not if you strike the plant untill it be broken. Among these drops there standeth out a certain pestel, as also sundry small chives tipped with small pendants like those of the Lilly: above the whole floures there groweth a tuft of green leaves like those upon the stalke, but smaller. After the floures be faded, there follow cods or seed-vessels six square, wherein is contained flat seeds tough & limmer, of the colour of Mace: the whole plant, as wel roots as floures do savor or smell very like a fox. As the plant groweth old, so doth it wax rich, bringing forth a Crowne of floures amongst the uppermost green leaves, which some make a second kinde, although in truth they are but one and the selfe same, which in time is thought to grow to a triple crowne, which hapneth by the age of the root, and fertilitie of the soile. The Place.

This plant likewise hath been brought from Constantinople amongst other bulbous roots, and made denizons in our London gardens, whereof I have great plenty.

The Time.

It floureth in Aprill, and sometimes in March, when as the weather is warme and pleasant. The seed is ripe in June.

The Names.

This rare and strange Plant is called in Latine, Corona Imperialis, & Lilium Byzantinum.

The Temperature and Vertues.

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