o 



niHieJ wkli finglc, lonrr, narrow leaves at each joint, 

 refembiinct thofe of the Reedj ^'the bafe of the leaves 

 cor-.e omth^' fpikes of flo\Vcr< (landing onlhort 

 foot-ft-illcs ; theic fpikes are compofed of male flow- 

 ers only, and below tliem is fituated one or two fe- 

 male fiowers J the male flowers decay fooh after rhey 

 have flied their farina -, but the gerracn of the female 

 flowers fwell to a large oval feed, which is hard, 

 fmooth, and of a gray colour, greatly refcmbling the 



of Gromwel, from v/hente this plant has been 



; by fevt-ral writers titled Lithofpermum. ^^ ^^. ,,... 

 Thofc who are dcfirousto cultivate this^ plant m 



• Tngland, may procure the ll'cc^s from^ Porhmal, thefe 



■ fliould be fown on a moderate hot-bed in the fprmg, 

 to bring the plants forward^ and.aFtenvarS tranfplant 



• them on a\varm ^ordcr,' allowing each two feet room 



■ at leart, and when the plants have taken i-oot, they 



will require no fiirther car*^;' but 'to 'keep thefa clean 

 ' from weeds. 'Thefe will flower about Midfummcr, 

 'and in warm feafons, th^ feSds will ripen 'it Mi- 

 ' chaelmas,' There is a'yanety 'of this with much 



broader leaves, which I received from Siiiyrtia Tome 



X puipl;!]! 



I 



years paft, which did not pe'rfeft feeds here, ' fo I 

 caniiot lay whether ic is ohly a variety, or a diflcrcnt 



Oft from this. , , ,. :. / 



"The fccond fort wiH'grow .tp the height of feyen or 



are frequently propagated by fiorilb. TUfc are 

 mod of them Icnunal variations from die full fair. 

 'I'he mofl common Meadow Safiron Iut!i 

 flower. 



The Meadow Saffron wich white fiowcr^;. 

 Meadow Saffron with flriped flower:). 

 Broad-leaved Meadow Saffron. 

 Striped-leaved Meadow Saffron. 

 Many flowered Meadow Saffron. 

 Meadow Saffron w^ich double purplifn llowci s. 

 Meadow Saffron with double white fiowers. 

 Meadow Saffron with manv white flowers. 

 The firfl fort grows naturally both in the well: and 

 north of England. I have obferved it in great pleiuy 

 in'Vhe meadows near Caflle Eromwich, in Warwick- 

 ' {hire, in the beginning of September. The cuuntiy 

 p^eojilc call the flowers Naked Ladies, beeaufe tluy 

 come up naked, without any leaves or cover. This 

 hath a bulbous root, about the fizc and ffiape of 



'* thofe of the Tulip, but not fo fliarp-pointed at the 

 top, the flcins or cover is alio of a darker colour. 

 Thefe bulbs art'renewed every year, for thoie which 

 j j)roduce the fiowers decay, and new roots are fornicd 

 above. The flowers come out in autumn-, theie 

 arife with lonj; flender tubes from the root, about 



les high, llvaped like thole of the Saffron, 



eight feet, and the ftems become hard7like the Reed, | but larger-, they are of a pale purple colour, and 



or Indian Corn : thefe branch out, and produce fe- 



veral fpikes of flowers ; but this fort will not live in 



the open air in England, therefore (hould be plunged 



info the bark-ftove, where it will live through the 



Vrinter, and produce ripe feeds the fecpncTyear; and 



'^m'ay be continued longer, if defired. . 'Z;' /;'" ^ 



OLCHICUM. Lin. Gen. Plant. 41^. Tourn. 



Inft. R. IL 348. tab, 181, 182. rSo called f 



tvkfitfhovf called M 

 forrtierly very conin 



that place.] Meadow S;im'on 

 ^ ;ThcCHA]^AcfERsar^,.;.'. 

 2*^/ /c'zV^ bnib neither entpalc 



■- ' 



-t 



J rh 



fP 



J .' 



J 



ijing ivitb an angular tube /? 

 •:ided at the tp£ into fix ovat^'^t 

 PgMcnts y it bath fix Jla^nina which are Jl. 



h 



fummits having ft 



^kgermen is/Uimted in the rcot, fupp 



Jijlcs the length cf the Jiamina, crowned hy rejl. 



i^vided into fix parts at the top, which Hand ereft ; 

 'the nunibcr of flowers is generally in proportion to 

 the fize of the roots, from two to feVcn or eight : in 

 March the green'^aves appear, thefe are commonly 

 four to a full' grown root ; they are folded over each 

 other below, but fpread open above ground, ftanding 

 crofs-ways: they are of a deep green, and when 

 /ully grown, are five or fix inches long, and one and 

 a half broad. The feed-vefl^el comes out from be- 

 t\veen the leaves in April, and the feeds ripen in May, 

 fcon after which the leaves decay. 

 ■ The other varieties of this, are fuppofcd to have ac- 

 cidentally rifen from the feeds of this ; fo t!\at thofc 

 who are defirous to obtain a variety of thefe flowers* 

 fliould propagate them from feeds, by which method 

 there may be a gi^eater variety railed. 

 Tlie fecond fort grows naturally on the mountains in 

 Spain and Portugal. This hath a fmaller root than 

 the firfl, and a darker coat ; the flowers appear in 



fibmas*^ the germen afterward becomes a capfuk \ Auguft or September j thefe are cut into flx long 



'■f 



feeds 



feafn on the infid^ 

 ntain feveral roundifrj 



Vrf* 



i This genus 6f plants is ranged i 

 ^ 'of Linniaeiis'^ fixth clafa, intitled E 



in the third fe6lion 



Hexandria Trigynia, 

 ''iFre floj.vtr having fix ilamina and three fly les. . 



Th? Sncitt afe, 



t. QotMam f 



foliis pi 



eredtis. Hort. Cliff. 140. Cokhicm with plain^ tfeU, 

 fpaf'Jhaped leaves, Colchiculft commune. C. B. P. 



67. CcmiJi:/! Mcado-w Saffron. . ^ - ... r. 

 CoLCHicuM {Afontanum) joWis linearifeus, patentifli- 

 ■"*" ^ "" ^'" "'Mant. 342. Meadow Sa^ron with very 



leaves, Colchicum Montanum an- 



iv; 



Mounta 



\f ' 



narrow fpreading leaves, C 

 guaifolium. C. B. P. GZ, 

 Meadtrw Saffron, / * .• 



3. CoLCHicuM {Variegation) foliis undulatis patentibus. 

 Hort. Clifl'. 140. hkadow Saffron with waved fpreading 



r[ Uavcs.^ Colchicum Chionenfc, floribus fvitillarix 

 „ inlhr tcffubtis, foliis undulatis. Mor. Ilift. 2. p. 341. 

 . Meadow Siffron of Cbics^ with chequered flowers like 

 Frmllan\ and waved leaves. 



4. Colchicum {Teffulatum) foliis planis patentibus. Col 

 ttkum with plain fpreading leaves, Colchicum floribus 



• fdtlllarice infl:ar tcflulatis, foliis planis. Mor. Hill. 2, 



# 



/ 



Fritillan. and plain leaves, 



^ greater variety of thefe flowers than any 



rruiuan^ 



There IS 



here 



enumerated, which differ in the colour of their 

 flowers, ahd otlicr little accieknts, which are not 

 ia(t:na, C> mufl: not be ranged as diftincl fpecies. 

 But as many of them are cultivated in flower-gardens, 

 I mail beg leave to mention diofc varieties, which 





narrow fegments, of a reddifh purple colour, having 

 fijt yellow ilamina. The leaves of this fort come up 

 fooh after the flowers decay, and continue green all 

 the wihtef, like the Saffi'on -, thefe are long, narrow, 

 and fpread on the ground ^ in June theie decay like 

 the fixil fort. 



The third and fourth forts grow naturally in tlie Le- 

 vant, but are commonly cultivated in the Englifn 

 gardens. iThefe flower at the fame time as the firil 

 lort, and the green leaves come up in the fpring. The 

 root of one of thefe fpecies, is fuppofed to be the Her- 

 modaftyl of the fliops. 



Thefe are all very pretty varieties for a flower-garden, 

 producing their flowers in autumn, when tew other 

 plants are in beauty i and are therefore, by fome, 

 called Naked Ladies. The green leaves come up 

 in the i"pring, v/hich are extended to a great length 

 in May, then the green leaves begin to decay ; foon 

 after which time, is the proper fealbn to tranfplanc 

 their roots-, for if they are fufiercd to remain in the 

 ground till Augufl-, they will fend forth frcfli fibres; 

 after which time it will be too late to remove them. 

 The roots may be kept above ground until the be- 

 ginning of Augufl: i at whicli time, if they are not 

 planted, they will produce their flowers a;, they lie 

 out of the ground, but this will greatly weaken 

 their roots. The manner of planting their roots being 

 the fame as Tulips, &c. I ihall forbear n-ientioning 

 it htrre, referring tlie reader to that article: and alio 

 for Towing the feeds, by which means new varieties 

 may be obtained, I fhall refer to t!>e article Xr- 

 PHioNi where will be proper directions for rk.s 



work. 



4 A COLD 



