764 ORD. XLVI. Liliacee. CROCUS SATIVUS. 
three-valved, and contains several round seeds. It flowers in 
_ September and October. 
It is now indubitably ascertained that this plant! is a native of 
England, though unknown to Ray, Miller, and several other subse- 
quent botanists. It has been long cultivated for use in this and in 
-many other countries: but English Saffron is generally preferred 
where to that which is imported from abroad, and may be distin- 
guished by its parts being larger and broader. All the different 
plants of this genus are by Linnzus considered only as varieties of 
.the C. sativus. Jacquin,* however, makes a distinct species of the 
spring Crocus: in this he has been followed by Curtis, who has 
published a figure of the plant in his Botanical Magazine: and 
Miller, who describes four species of this family, thinks all of them 
“ must be allowed to be specifically different, since they do not 
vary to each other. ths 
officinal Saffron, are saitg to be Sitinpuihed from those of the 
other varieties, and in the neighbourhood of Saffron-Walden, and 
in some parts of Gambsidueshiee, where the plant is chiefty cul- 
tivated, are prepared for use in the following manner. In autumn, 
‘when the flowers appear, they are gathered every morning; and 
are spread upon a table; the stigmata along-with a portion of the 
_style, are then picked from the other part of the flowers, which | 
- are thrown away as useless. The stigmata being thus collected in 
sufficient quantity are then dried, which is effected by means of 
portable kilns, of a peculiar construction, over which a hair cloth 
is stretched; and upon this are placed a few sheets of white paper, 
on which the stigmata are strewed, about two or three inches thick, 
-and then covered with several sheets of paper, over which is laid 
-a coarse blanket, five or six times folded, ara canvas bag filled 
with straw; and when the fire has heated the kiln, a board, on 
which. a weight is put, is placed upon the blanket in order to press 
the Saffron into a cake. For the first hour a pretty strong fire is 
* Vide Lc. 4 3 © See Dice. 
