402 FLORA HISTORICA, 



MEADOW SAFFRON Cokhkum Auiumnah, 



Natural Order Spathacea. Cokhicacece, Juss : a Genus 

 of the Hexandria Trigynia Class. 



Shakspeare says, in his play of Cymbeline, 



** One that's sick o' th' g^out, had rather 

 Groan so in perplexity, than be cur'd 

 By th' sure physician death." 



To such sufferers we therefore address our his- 

 tory of the singular plant, which has been named 

 Colchicum, from its growing so abundantly in 

 the vicinity of Colchis, a city of Armenia^ cele- 

 brated for its numerous poisonous plants, and as 

 the birth-place of Medea. 



It is thus noticed by Horace in the thirteenth 

 ode of his second book, 



" Or teraper'd every baleful juice 

 "Which poisonous Colchian glebes produce." 



Fabulous history informs us, that this autum- 

 nal flower owes its origin to some drops being 

 spilt in the fields of the magic liquor, which Me- 

 dea had prepared to restore the aged iEson to 

 the bloom and vigour of youth ; and on this ac- 



