1576 De Lobel & Indica florida

In 1576 De Lobel described and illustrated a plant cultivated in Belgium as ‘Indica florida’, the seeds of which he had received from friends from the West Indies (‘Indiae Occiduae’). According to him the species was very rare, but already in cultivation in France, England, Italy, and Portugal. He did not know any use made of it, and described it as resembling to Acorus and Canna (then the names used for all sorts of reeds).
The work was called ‘Plantarum seu stirpium historia’ published at Antwerp in 1576 De Lobel.