XXVIL. 
CROCUS SATIVUS. 
Common Saffron Crocus. 
Synonyms.—Crocus, Gerard. Emar., p. 151; Raii Hist., p. 1176. Crocus 
verus sativus autumnalis, Park. Parad., p. 167. Crocus sativus, Bauh. TMw., p. 65 ; 
With. Bot. An., p. 37. Crocus autumnalis, Z. Fi, vol. i. p. 46. 
Forrtan Names.—Fr.: Safran. Jtal.: Zafferano. Span.: Azafran. -Port.: 
Agafrio. Germ. and Dan.: Safran. Dut.: Saffraan. Swed.: Saffran. Russ.: 
Schafran. Arab: Zafran. Pers.: Aheer. Tam.: Khoongoommapor. 
Nat. Order, Irntptm.—Trianpria, Monoeynta. 
Gen. Cuar.—Calyz radical, of two unequal, membranous, tubular sheaths, 
single flowered. Corolla (perianthium) superior, tube cylindrical, up- 
right, three or four times the length of the limb, which is regular, in 
six elliptic, oblong, equal segments, three of them partly internal. Fila- 
ments three, in the mouth six; the tube shorter than the limb. Axthers 
arrow-shaped, upright. Germen at the root inferior, roundish. Style 
thread-shaped, very long, rising as high as the stamens. Stigmas three, 
dilated upwards, variously folded, jagged, or many-cleft. Capsule mem- 
branous, of three cells and three valves. Seeds several, globular. The 
inferior corolla, with a very long, slender tube, and six-parted, equal, 
inflated, upright limb, and the three-plaited, many-lobed stigma, will 
distinguish this from other genera in the same class and order. 
Spxc. CHan.—Stigma protruding, drooping, in three deep, linear divisions. 
Hisrory.—The earliest notice of Crocus is in Homer (Jhad, 
Book xiv., Pope's Trans.) : Ss 
«* And flaming Crocus made the mountain glow.” 
It is also mentioned in sacred history (Solomon’s Song, 
Fig. 1. An anther. 2. The stigma. 
