flore rubro_, the red Bolonia Tulipa. _Tulipa Boloniensis flore luteo_, the yellow Bolonia Tulipa. _Tulipa Persica_, Persian Tulipa. _Tulipa Cretica_, the Candie Tulipa, and others: all which shall bee described and entreated of, euery one apart by it selfe, in the end of the ranke of the _Præcoces_, because all of them flower much about their time. To begin then with the _Præcox_, or early flowring Tulipas, and after them with the _Medias_ and _Serotinas_, I shall for the better method, diuide their flowers into foure primary or principall colours, that is to say, White, Purple, Red and Yellow, and vnder every one of these colours, set downe the seuerall varieties of mixtures we haue seene and obserued in them, that so they may be both the better described by me, and the better conceiued by others, and euery one placed in their proper ranke. Yet I shall in this, as I intend to doe in diuers other plants that are variable, giue but one description in generall of the plant, and then set downe the varietie of forme or colour afterwards briefly by themselues. _Tulipa præcox._ The early flowring Tulipa. The early Tulipa (and so all other Tulipas) springeth out of the ground with his leaues folded one within another, the first or lowest leafe riseth vp first, sharpe pointed, and folded round together, vntill it be an inch or two aboue the ground, which then openeth it selfe, shewing another leafe folded also in the bosome or belly of the first, which in time likewise opening it selfe, sheweth forth a third, and sometimes a fourth and a fifth: the lower leaues are larger then the vpper, and are faire, thicke, broad, long, and hollow like a gutter, and sometimes crumpled on the edges, which will hold water that falleth thereon a long time, of a pale or whitish greene colour, (and the _Mediæ_ and _Serotinæ_ more greene) couered ouer as it were with a mealinesse or hoarinesse, with an eye or shew of rednesse towards the bottome of the leaues, and the edges in this kinde being more notable white, which are two principall notes to know a _Præcox Tulipa_ from a _Media_ or _Serotina_: the stalke with the flower riseth vp in the middle, as it were through these leaues, which in time stand one aboue another, compassing it at certaine vnequall distances, and is often obserued to bend it selfe crookedly downe to the ground, as if it would thrust his head thereinto, but turning vp his head (which will be the flower) againe, afterwards standeth vpright, sometimes but three or foure fingers or inches high, but more often halfe a foote, and a foot high, but the _Medias_, and _Serotinas_ much higher, carrying (for the most part) but one flower on the toppe thereof, like vnto a Lilly for the forme, consisting of sixe leaues, greene at the first, and afterwards changing into diuers and sundry seuerall colours and varieties, the bottomes likewise of the leaues of these sometimes, but most especially of the _Mediæ_, being as variable as the flower, which