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SCIENTIFIC AND APPLIED PHARMACOGNOSY 



Powder. (Fig. 44.) Orange red; glycerin mounts of deep orange 

 color; few, nearly smooth, nearly spheroidal pollen grains, 0.085 to 

 0.100 mm. in diameter; papillae of stigma; coloring principle soluble 

 in water but not in fixed oils, being the reverse in capsicum; with 

 sulphuric acid fragments become blue immediately. 



FIG. 44. A, Crocus (Spanish saffron), showing two spheroidal pollen grains, a 

 fragment of stigma with papillae, and fragment of an anther; B, Calendula, 

 showing three spinose pollen grains and fragments of e corolla, the cells of 

 which contain oil-like globules; C, Carthamus (so-called American saffron), 

 showing two slightly spinose pollen grains and a fragment of the corolla with 

 brown laticiferous vessels and numerous unicellular hairs. After Weakley. 



Constituents. A yellow glucoside, crocin, which is very powerful, 

 1 part imparting a distinct yellow color to 100,000 parts of water. 

 It is a yellow amorphous substance which is readily soluble in water 

 and dilute alcohol, but only slightly soluble in absolute alcohol or 

 ether. It is colored blue with either sulphuric or nitric acid. It 



