The Description

            1. This, which in face nighest represents the Molies described in the last Chapter, hath a root made of many scales, like as an Onion in the upper part, but the lower part is knotty, and runs in the ground like as Solomon's Seal; the Onion-like part hath many fibres hanging thereat; the leaves are like those of the white Narcissus, very green and shining, amongst which riseth up a stalk of a cubit high, naked, firm, green, and crested; at the top come forth many flowers consisting of six purplish leaves, with as many chives on their insides: after which follow three-square heads, opening when they are ripe, and containing a round black seed.

            2. This other being of the same kind, and but a variety of the former, hath softer and more ash-coloured leaves, with the flowers of a lighter colour. Both these flower at the end of June, or in July.

            3. This hath five or six leaves equally as broad as those of the last described, but not so long, being somewhat twined, green, and shining. The stalk is some foot in length, smaller than that of the former, but not less stiff, crested, and bearing in a round head many flowers, in manner of growing and shape like those of the former, but of a more elegant purple colour. In seed and root it resembles the precedent. There is also a variety of this kind, with leaves longer and narrower, neither so much twined, the stalks weaker, and flowers much lighter coloured.

            This flowers later than the former, to wit, in July and August.

            All these plants grow naturally in Leitenberg and other hills near to Vienna in Austria, where they were first found and observed by Carolus Clusius.

            4. This hath a stalk some two cubits high, which even to the middle is encompassed with leaves much longer and broader than those of Garlic, and very like those of the Leek: on the top of the smooth and rush-like stalk groweth a tuft consisting of many dark purple coloured bulbs growing close together, from amongst which come forth pretty long stalks bearing light purple star-fashioned flowers, which are succeeded by three-cornered seed-vessels. The root is bulbous, large, consisting of many cloves, and having many white fibres growing forth thereof. Moreover, there grow out certain round bulbs about the root, almost like those which grow in the head, and being planted apart, they produce plants of the same kind. This is Allium, sive Moly montanum latifolium 1, Clusius.

            5. This hath a smooth round green stalk four cubits high, whereon do grow most commonly three leaves narrower than those of the former, and as it were grassy. The top of the stalk sustains a head wrapped in two lax films, each of them running out with a sharp point like two horns, which opening themselves, there appear many small bulbs heaped together, amongst which are flowers composed of six purplish little leaves, and fastened to long stalks. The root is round and white, with many long white fibres hanging thereat. Clusius calls this, Allium, sive Moly montanum secundum. And this is Lobel's Ampeloprason proliferum.

            6. Like to the last described is this in height and shape of the stalk and leaves, as also in the forked or horned skin involving the head, which consisteth of many small bulbs of a reddish green colour, and ending in a long green point; amongst which, upon long and slender stalks hang down flowers like in form and magnitude to the former, but of a whitish colour, with a dark purple streak alongst the middle, and upon the edges of each leaf. The root is round and white, like that of the last described. This Clusius gives under the title of Allium sive Moly montanum tertium.

            7. This also hath three rushy leaves, with a round stalk of some cubit high, whose top is likewise adorned with a forked membrane, containing many pale coloured flowers hanging upon long stalks, each flower consisting of six little leaves, with the like number of chives, and a pistil in the midst. This tuft of flowers cut off with the top of the stalk, and carried into a chamber, will yield a pleasant smell (like that which is found in the flowers in the earlier Cyclamen) but it will quickly decay. After these flowers are past succeed three-cornered heads containing a black small seed, not much unlike Gillyflower seed. The root is round like the former, sometimes yielding off-sets. This is Alii montani 4. species 1. of Clusius.

            8. There is another kind of this last described, which grows to almost the same height, and hath like leaves, and the head ingirt with the like skinny long pointed husks; but the flowers of this are of a very dark colour. The roots are like the former, with off-sets by their side. This is Clusius his Moly montani quarti species secunda. The roots of the three last described smell of garlic, but the leaves have rather an herby or grass-like smell.

            The fifth and sixth of these grow naturally in the Styrian and Austrian Alps. The seventh grows about Pressburg in Hungary [Bratislava in Slovakia], about Niclasburg in Moravia [Mikulov in the Czech Republic], but most abundantly about the Baths in Baden.

Fig. 325. The fifth Mountain Moly (9)

            9. This grows to the like height as the former, with a green stalk, having few leaves thereupon, and naked at the top, where it carrieth a round head consisting of many star-like small flowers, of a fair purple colour, fastened to short stalks, each flower being composed of six little leaves, withal many chives, and a pistil in the middle. The root is bulbous and white, having sometimes his off-sets by his sides. The smell of it is like Garlic. This groweth also about Pressburg in Hungary, and was there observed by Clusius to bear his flower in May and June. He calleth this Allium, seu Moly montanum quintum.