SAFFRON. GRASSES. 33 



blossom. The petals are violet-coloured, and the 

 plant has an agreeable smell. The leaves of the 

 Saffron are not so broad as those of the Spring 

 Crocus. 



The summits of the pistil of the Cro'cus sati'vus 

 are, I believe, the only parts of any of the species 

 that are made use of. They are carefully picked, 

 pressed together, and dried in kilns, and are then 

 the Saffron that is sold in the shops, which was 

 formerly very much used in medicine. There is 

 a place in Essex called Saffron- Walden, from 

 the quantity of this plant which was formerly 

 cultivated there, for the purpose of preparing the 

 drug. 



EDWARD. 



Can we find any other plants of this class in the 

 fields? 



MOTHER. 



You cannot go into any field without meeting 

 some of them ; for the class Triandria contains 

 almost all the grasses, which are, you know, so 

 common and so useful ; the leaves affording pasture 

 for cattle, the small seeds food for birds, and the 

 larger for men. 



The grasses form about a twelfth part of all the 

 species on our globe, especially in open situations. 

 But if the numbers of the individuals be compared, 

 they probably outnumber all the other plants, with 

 visible flowers, put together. Most of them are 

 D 



