Narcissus Indicus flore rubro, dictus Iacobæus. The Indian Daffodill with a red flower.
What could this flower be? Parkinson calls it a daffodil but even he's not really sure. A red daffodil?! Read the original text in full below.
This Indian Daffodill is so differing, both in forme, not hauing a cuppe, and in colour being red, from the whole Family of the Daffodils (except the next that followeth, and the Autumne Daffodils) that some might justly question the fitnesse of his place here. But because as all the plants, whether bulbous or other, that come from the Indies, either East or West (although they differ very notably, from those that grow in these parts of the world) must in a generall suruey and muster be ranked euery one, as neere as the surueiours wit will direct him, vnder some other growing with vs, that is of neerest likenesse; Euen so vntill some other can direct his place more fitly, I shall require you to accept of him in this, with this description that followeth, which I must tell you also, is more by relation then knowledge, or sight of the plant it selfe. This Daffodill hath diuers broad leaues, somewhat like vnto the common or ordinary white Daffodill, of a grayish greene colour; from the sides whereof, as also from the middle of them, rise vp sometimes two stalkes together, but most vsually one after another (for very often it flowreth twice in a Summer) and often also but one stalke alone, which is of a faint reddish colour, about a foote high or more, at the toppe whereof, out of a deepe red skinne or huske, commeth forth one flower bending downwards, consisting of sixe long leaues without any cup in the middle, of an excellent red colour, tending to a crimson; three of these leaues that turne vpwards, are somewhat larger then those three that hang downewards, hauing sixe threads or chiues in the middle, tipt with yellow pendents, and a three forked stile longer then the rest, and turning vp the end thereof againe: the roote is round and bigge, of a brownish colour on the outside, and white within. This is set forth by Aldinus, Cardinall Farnesius his Physitian, that at Rome it rose vp with stalks of flowers before any leaues appeared.
The Place, Time, and Names.
This naturally groweth in the West Indies, from whence it was brought into Spaine, where it bore both in Iune and Iuly, and by the Indians in their tongue named Azcal Xochitl, and hath beene sent from Spaine, vnto diuers louers of plants, into seuerall parts of Christendome, but haue not thriued long in these transalpine colde Countries, so far as I can heare.
This text has been reproduced from Paradisi in Sole (1629) available on Project Gutenburg.