The Description.

            This admirable plant called the Marvel of Peru, or the Marvel of the World, springeth forth of the ground like unto Basil in leaves; amongst which it sendeth out a stalk two cubits and a half high, of the thickness of a finger; full of juice, very firm, and of a yellowish green colour, knotted or kneed with joints somewhat bunching forth, of purplish colour, as in the female Balsamina: which stalk divideth itself into sundry branches or boughs, and those also knotty like the stalk. His branches are decked with leaves growing by couples at the joints like the leaves of wild Peascods, green, fleshy, and full of joints; which being rubbed do yield the like unpleasant smell as wild Peascods do, and are in taste also very unsavory, yet in the latter end they leave a taste and sharp smack of Tobacco. The stalks towards the top are garnished with long hollow single flowers, folded, as it were, into five parts before they be opened; but being fully blown do resemble the flowers of Tobacco, not ending into sharp corners, but blunt and round as the flowers of Bindweed, and larger than the flowers of Tobacco, glittering oftentimes with a fine purple or crimson colour; many times of an horse-flesh; sometime yellow; sometime pale, and sometime resembling an old red or yellow colour; sometime whitish, and most commonly two colours occupying half the flower, or intercoursing the whole flower with streaks and orderly streams, now yellow, now purple, divided through the whole; having sometime great, sometime little spots of a purple colour, sprinkled and scattered in a most variable order, and brave mixture. The ground or field of the whole flower is either pale, red, yellow, or white, containing in the middle of the hollowness a prick or pointel set round about with six small strings or chives. The flowers are very sweet and pleasant resembling the Narcissus or white Daffodil, and are very suddenly fading; for at night they are flowered wide open, and so continue until eight of the clock the next morning: at which time they begin to close or shut up (after the manner of the Bindweed) especially if the weather be very hot: but if the air be more temperate they remain open the whole day, and are closed only at night, and so perish, one flower lasting but only one day, like the true Ephemerum or Hemerocallis. This marvellous variety doth not without cause bring admiration to all that observe it. For if the flowers be gathered and reserved in several papers, and compared with those flowers that will spring and flourish the next day, you than easily perceive that one is not like another in colour, though you should compare one hundred which flower one day, and another hundred which you gathered the next day; and so from day to day during the time of their flowering. The cups and husks which contain and embrace the flowers are divided into five pointed sections, which are green, and, as it were, consisting of skins, wherein is contained one seed and no more, covered with a blackish skin, having a blunt point whereon the flower groweth; but on the end next the cup or husk it is adorned with a little five-cornered crown. The seed is as big as a peppercorn, which of itself falleth with any light motion. Within this seed is contained a white kernel, which being bruised, resolveth into a very white pulp like starch. The root is thick and like unto a great radish, outwardly black, and within white, sharp in taste, wherewith is mingled a superficial sweetness. It bringeth new flowers from July unto October in infinite number, yea even until the frosts do cause the whole plant to perish: notwithstanding it may be reserved in pots, and set in chambers and cellars that are warm, and so defended from the injury of our cold climate; provided always that there be not any water cast upon the pot, or set forth to take any moisture in the air until March following; at which time it must be taken forth of the pot and replanted in the garden. By this means I have preserved many (though to small purpose) because I have sown seeds that have borne flowers in as ample manner and in as good time as those reserved plants.

            Of this wonderful herb there be other sorts, but not so amiable or so full of variety, and for the most part their flowers are all of one colour. But I have since by practise found out another way to keep the roots for the year following with very little difficulty, which never faileth. At the first frost I dig up the roots and put up or rather hide the roots in a butter firkin, or such like vessel, filled with the sand of a river, the which I suffer still to stand in some corner of a house where it never receiveth moisture until April or the midst of March, if the weather be warm; at which time I take it from the sand and plant it in the garden, where it doth flourish exceeding well and increaseth by roots; which that doth not which was either sown of seed the same year, nor those plants that were preserved after the other manner.

The Place.

            The seed of this strange plant was brought first into Spain, from Peru, whereof it took his name Mirabula peruana, or peruviana: and since dispersed into all the parts of Europe: the which myself have planted many years, and have in some temperate years received both flowers and ripe seed.

The Time.

            It is sown in the midst of April, and bringeth forth his variable flowers in September, and perisheth with the first frost, except it be kept as aforefaid.

The Names.

            It is called in Peru of those, Indians there, Hachal. Of others after their name Hachal indi: of the high and Low Dutch, Solanum odoriferum: of some, Iasminum mexicanum: and of Carolus Clulius, Admirabilia peruviana: in English rather the Marvel of the World, than of Peru alone.

The Nature and Virtues.

            We have not as yet any instructions from the people of India concerning the nature or virtues of this plant: the which is esteemed as yet rather for his rareness, beauty, and sweetness of his flowers, than for any virtues known; but it is a pleasant plant to deck the gardens of the curious. Howbeit Jacobus Antonius Cortusus of Padua hath by experience found out, that two drams of the root thereof taken inwardly doth very notably purge waterish humours.