* 



COWSLIP. 

 Primula. Fens. 

 (See Primrose.) 



Primula veris, sulphur coloured Cowslip. 

 Called Cowslip, as some think, from their odour resem- 

 bling the breath of a cow; or, perhaps, from their growing 

 much in pasture grounds, and often meeting the cow's-lip. 



Johnson. 



The blossoms of the P. veris (or common European 

 Cowslip) communicate their aromatic fragrance, and narcotic 

 quality, to made wines, which thence have a resemblance to 

 the Muscadel wines of the south of France. 



> For want of rest, 



Lettuce and Cowslip wine : probatum est. Pope. 



Thy little sons 



Permit to range the pastures; gladly they 



Will mow the Cowslip posies, faintly sweet, 



From whence thou artificial wines shall drain 



Of icy taste, that in mid fervours, best 



Slack craving thirst, and mitigate the day. Philips. 



The flowers of the Cowslip are frequently mixed with 

 tea, to give it a flavour. The leaves were formerly eaten 

 in sallad. Flora Historica. 



How cheerful along the gay mead 



The Daisy and Cowslip appear. Milton. 



Pale Primrose, in whose cup 



The pearly dew glitters. B. Barton, 



The uncommon beauty of the American Cowslip, or 

 JWeadia, occasioned Linnaeus to give it the generic name of 

 Dodecatheon, and Dr. Mead to affix his name to it. 



Dodecatheon, is derived from two Greek words signify- 

 ing twelve and a divinity. An old name for the Cowslip, 

 supposed to signify the twelve heathen gods. Or, as some 

 suppose, to allude to the twelve Caesars, who were comme- 

 morated in the circle of twelve flowers, or thereabouts, com- 

 posing its umbel. The idea is rather far-fetched, and the Cae- 

 sars, for the most part, were unworthy of any such elegant 

 commemoration. However this may be, Linnaeus retained 

 the appellation for a new genus, akin to the Cowslip, which 

 had been called J\Teadia, after Dr. Mead, a name, which 

 Linnaeus rejected as unworthy for generic, though he pre- 

 served it in the specific one. 



The only species described is the Meadia, which is a na- 

 tive of Virginia. A hardy perennial, that bears the severest 

 cold, flowering in June. When it was first sent to England, 

 it was raised from the seed, by Mr. Peter Collinson, and the 

 leaves proved so like those of the lettuce, that he apprehended 

 some mistake, till the beautiful powers came forth. 



CROCUS. 



Crocus, a Latin name> translated by Ainsworth, a Saf- 

 fron j" also "the yellow chives in the midst of flowers." 



Saffron, the x e oxs of the Greeks Crocus, of the La- 

 tin Zajffbran, or Zah afaran, of the Arabians, (from which 

 last, according to Skinner, comes its English name of Saffron,) 

 and Carcom, of the Hebrews, who held it in much estima- 

 tion. It has been greatly celebrated in ancient times, both 

 by physicians and poets. 



We are told that the Saffron of the shops, is the odorous 

 aromatic stigmas of the Crocus sativus, or officinalis, a na- 

 tive of Greece, and Asia Minor. Which, since its introduc- 

 tion into England, has been called Saffron-Walden, because 

 formerly cultivated chiefly near or about the town of Walden. 



It is mentioned in Solomon's Song, iv. 14. 



Fabulous history derives the name Crocus, from a youth 

 of that name, who was consumed by the ardour of his love 

 for the nymph Smilax, and, afterwards, changed into the 

 flower bearing his name. 



Crocus, and Smilax,* may be turn'd to flow'rs, 

 And the Curetesf spring from bounteous show'rs, 

 I pass a hundred legends, stale as these, 

 And, with sweet novelty, your taste will please. 



Eusdcn's Ovid. 



The Crocus is one of the earliest spring flowers. 

 There is, also, an autumnal variety. The colours of the 

 flowers are purple, yellow, white, &tc. 



Fair handed Spring unbosoms every grace, 

 Throws out the Snow drop, and the Crocus first. 



Thomson. 



The general character of Crocus is a spathe transparent- 

 ly membranous, one or two-leaved. Corolla monopetalous, 

 funnel-shaped; tube very long, six-parted, superior; border 

 with six ovate oblong, nearly equal divisions. 



CROWN IMPERIAL. 



Fritillaria Imperialis. 



Fritillaria, from fritillus, which some take for a chess- 

 board, and which, in that sense, alludes to the chequered na- 

 ture of the petals. 



Fritillus, however, is used by Juvenal and Persius for a 

 dice-box, and is supposed to have expressed the rattling sound 

 of the dice. 



Fritillus A dice-box to throw dice out of. 



Jlinsworth. 



The common Fritillaria, or chequered lily, F. JWelea- 

 gris, is regularly chequered with purple, or with different 

 whites. 



Note* Smilax was also changed into a plant of the same name, said 

 by the ancients to be the Ytw Tree she having pined away for the love 

 of Crocus. Modern botanists give Smilax as the generic name of a fa- 

 mily of plants, in which the Medicinal Sarsaparilla, or Smilax Sarsa- 

 parilla, is included. 



f Curetes, a people of Crete, who, according to Ovid, were produced 

 from rain. They -were also called Corybantes and were entrusted with 

 the education of Jupiter and, afterwards, made priests and favourite 

 ministers of Rhea, or Cybele. 



