The Description.

            1. The Double Red Crowfoot hath a few leaves rising immediately forth of the ground, cut in the edges with deep gashes, somewhat hollow and of a bright shining green colour. The stalk riseth up to the height of a foot, smooth and very brittle, dividing itself into other branches sometimes two, seldom three: whereon do grow leaves confusedly, set without order: the flowers grow at the tops of the stalks, very double, and of great beauty, of a perfect scarlet colour, tending to redness. The root is compact of many long tough roots, like those of the yellow Asphodel.

            2. Of this kind there is also another, or other the same better expresed; for Clusius the author of these never sees the former, but makes it only to differ, in that the flowers are of a sanguine colour, and those of this of a kind of scarlet, or red lead colour.

Fig. 1391. Kinds of Asian Crowfoot (3-6)

            3. This differs nothing from the former, but that it sends up another flower somewhat lesser, out of the middle of the first flower, which happens by the strength of the root, and goodness of the soil where it is planted.

            4. The Crowfoot of Tripolis or the single red Ranunculus hath leaves at the first coming up like unto those of Groundsel: among which riseth up a stalk of the height of half a cubit, somewhat hairy, whereon grow broad leaves deeply cut, even to the middle rib, like those of the common Crowfoot, but greener: the flower groweth at the top of the stalk, consisting of five leaves, on the outside of a dark overworn red colour, on the inside of a red lead colour, bright and shining, in shape like the wild Corn Poppy: the knop or style in the middle which containeth the seed is garnished or bedecked with very many small purple thrums tending to blackness: the root is as it were a roundel of little bulbs or grains like those of the small Celandine or Pilewort.

            5. There be divers other Asian Crowfoots which Clusius hath set forth, and which grow in the most part in the gardens of our prime florists, and they differ little in their roots, stalks, or leaves, but chiefly in the flowers; wherefore I will only briefly note their differences, not thinking it pertinent to stand upon whole descriptions, unless they were more necessary: this fifth differs from the fourth in that the stalks are divided into sundry branches, which bear like, but less flowers than those which stand upon the main stalk: the colour of these differs not from that of the last described.

            6. This is like the last described, but the flowers are of a pure white colour and sometimes have a few streaks of red about their edges.

Fig. 1392. Asian Crowfoot with Yellow Striped Flowers (7)

            7. This in stalks and manner of growing is like the precedent; the stalk seldom parting itself into branches; but on the top thereof it carries a fair flower consisting commonly of round topped leaves of a greenish yellow colour, with divers red veins here and there dispersed and running alongst the leaves, with four purple thrums, and a head standing up in the middle as in the former.

The Place.

            The first groweth naturally in and about Constantinople, and in Asia on the further side of Bosphorus, from whence there hath been brought plants at divers times, and by divers persons, but they have perished by reason of their long journey, and want of skill of those bringers, that have suffered them to lie in a box or such-like so long, that when we have received them they have been as dry as ginger; notwithstanding Clusius saith he received a plant fresh and green, the which a domestical thief stole forth of his garden. My Lord and Master the right Honorable the Lord Treasurer had divers plants sent him from thence which were dry before they came, as aforesaid. The other groweth in Aleppo and Tripolis in Syria naturally, from whence we have received plants for our gardens, where they flourish as in their own country.

The Time.

            They bring forth their pleasant flowers in May and June: the seed is ripe in August.

The Names.

            The first is called Ranunculus constantinopolitanus: Of Lobel, Ranunculus sanguineus multiplex, Ranunculus byzantinus, sive asiaticus: in the Turkish tongue, Torobolos, Catamer laile: in English, the double red Ranunculus, or Crowfoot.

            The fourth is called Ranunculus tripolitanus, of the place from whence it was first brought into these parts: of the Turks, Torobolos Catamer, without that addition laile; which is a proper word to all flowers that are double.

The Temperature and Virtues.

            Their temperature and virtues are referred to the other Crowfoots, whereof they are thought to be kinds.