316 The Useful Family Herbal. 
tures: Perhaps without any great F oundation.’ . 
An Infufion of it, taken inwardly, works by Urine,. 
and is very good again{ft the Gravel, and in the 
Jaundice. eee 
a? 
SAFFRON, 
ROCs 
A Very pretty Plant, of the fame Kind with — 
"What are called Crocus’s in our Gardens, 
It is planted in Fields, in fome Parts «f England, 
and yields a very profitable Kind of Produce. 
The Flowers of this Plant appear in Autumn, but 
the Leaves not till fometime after they are fallen. 
_ Thefe Flowers have, properly fpeaking, no Stalk;" 
— they rife immediately from the Root, which is 
_ Toundifh, and as big as a large Nutmeg, and they 
ftand a little Way above the Surface of the Ground; 
they are of a purplifh Blue, and very large, the 
Yower Part is covered with a fkinny Hufk. In the. 
Center of thefe ftand three Stamina, or Threads, 
with yellow Tops, which are ufelefs, but in the 
_ Midft between thefe rifes up what is called the 
Piftil of the Flower. This is the Rudiment of - 
the future Seed-veffel, it is oblong and whitifh, ~ 
_ and at its Top feparates into three Filarients: 
_ thefe are long, and of an Orange fearlet Colour; _ 
thefe three Filaments are the only Part of the 
_ Plant: that is ufed, they are what we call Saffron. 
They are carefully taken out of the Flower and 
Prefled into Cakes, which Cakes we fee underthe 
es LEER een ge a eee bee anes “Name : 
be i han ae 
