234 FAMILY HERBAL, 



mediately from the root, which is roundish., and as 

 big as a large nutmeg, and they stand a little way 

 above the surface of the ground ; they are of a pur- 

 plish blue, and very large ; the lower part is cov- 

 ered with a skinny husk. In the centre of these 

 stand three stamina, or threads, with yellow tops, 

 "which are useless, but in the midst between these 

 rises up what is called the pislil of the flower. 

 This is the rudiment of the future seed-vessel ; it is 

 oblong and whitish, and at its top separates into 

 three filaments ; these are long, and of an orange 

 scarlet colour ; these three filaments are the only 

 part of the plant that is used ; they arc what we call 

 salfron. They are carefully taken out of the flower 

 and pressed into cakes, which cakes we see under 

 the name of English saffron j and which is allowed 

 to be the best in the world. 



The leaves are long and grassy, of a dark green 

 colour, and very narrow. They are of no use. 



Saffron is a noble cordial. 



Bastard Saffron. Carthamus. 



A plant in its whole aspect as unlike to that 

 which produces the true saffron, as one herb can 

 be to another ; but called by this name, because 

 of the yellow threads which grow from the flow- 

 er. It is of the thistle kind, two feet and a 

 half high, and very upright. The stalk is round, 

 angulated, and branched, but it is not prickly. 

 The leaves are oblong, broad, round at the points, 

 and prickly about the edges. The flowers stand 

 at the tops of the branches : they consist of round- 

 ish, scaly, and prickly heads, with yellow flowers 

 growing from amongst them : these are like the 

 flowers in the heads of ear thistles, but narrower 

 and longer. 



