IBIDEM ' 453 



loaded with starch ; here and there between the cells may be 

 seen a prism of oxulate of lime. The vascular bundles are 

 numerous, in each irregular rings of spiral vessels surround a 

 central bundle of jointed vessels. 



Chemical conqwsUion. — The authors of the P/iarmacof/rapIiia 



r 



say: — *' When Orris root is distilled with water, a solid 

 crystalline substance, called Orris CampJwr^ is found floating 

 on the aqueous distillate. This substance, which we obtained 

 from the laboratory of Messrs. Herrings & Co., of London, is 

 yielded, us we learn from Mr. Umqey, to the extent of 0"12 

 per cent., that is to say, 3 cwt. 3 qrs. 23 lbs, of rhizome afford- 

 ed of it 8| ounces. Messrs. Schimmel & Co., of Leipzig, also 

 presented us with the same substance, of which they obtain 

 usuallj^ O'GO to 0'80 per cent. Orris camphor has the exquisite 

 and persistent fragrance of the drug ; we have proved that this 

 presumed stc^^roptene or Camphor of Orris root consists of 

 myridic acid, C^'H^^O*, impregnated with the minute quantity 

 of essential oil occurring in the drug. The oil itself would 

 appear not to pre-exist in the living root, but to be formed on 

 drying it. 



"By exhausting Orris root with spirit of wine, a soft 

 brownish resin is obtained, together with a little tannic matter. 



The resin has a slight!}^ acrid taste ; the tannin strikes a green 

 colour with persalts of iron.^' 



Conniiercc. — India is supplied with Orris root from Persia 

 f^nd Cashmere. The average value is about 2 annas per lb. 



CROCUS SATIVUS, Linn 



Fig. 



^- i)0. Saffron (Eng.), Saff ran (i^r. ) . 



Woodv 



Hab. — Greece, Asia Minor, Persia. Cultivated elsewhere. 



stiirmas 



Vernacular.— Kc^^v {Hind.), K^shar (Mar., Guz.), Jufnin 

 i^cnr/,)^ Kunguma-pu (Tarn.), Kunkuma-puvva {TeL)^ Kun- 

 kuniuduhuvu. Kesari iCan.), Kunkuraa-pavva (MaL). 



