192 The Meadow Saffron. 



and convey the fecundating particles of vegetable nature to the 

 numerous empty seed-shells that are prepared to receive them 

 in the three-lobed capsule. As the season of the year would not 

 allow the fruit of this late flowering plant to ripen so as to multi- 

 ply its kind, Providence has so contrived its structure that it may 

 be performed at a depth within the earth, out of the reach of the 

 usual effects of the frost; and as seeds buried at such a depth are 

 known not to vegetate, a no less admirable provision is made to 

 raise them above the surface when they are perfect, and to sow 

 them at a proper season. For this purpose, the seed-vessels are 

 lodged in the bosoms of the embryo leaves, and are consequently 

 thrust forth with the foliage in spring; this caused it to be form- 

 erly supposed that it produced its seed before its flowers, and for 

 want of investigation alone, this error obtained general belief. By 

 the end of May they are generally ripe, the leaves wither and the 

 root decays, having finished its duties, not only by its oviparous 

 nature, but by having, at the same time, given birth and nourish- 

 ment to a new bulb in the earth, by its viviparous powers. The 

 new bulbs take their rise from the caudex, at the base of the 

 flower tube, and are united by communicating vessels to the old 

 bulb, from the juices of which the new bulbs extract their nutri- 

 ment until the parent bulb decays, as in the case of the tulip. 

 The Colchicum has generally perfected its bulb by the middle 

 of May ; and as no exhaustion has then taken place, in forming 

 either flowers or foliage, it is natural to suppose that the bulb 

 must be then possessed of the most powerful medicinal properties. 

 In September, it sends up a flower similar in appearance to the 

 purple crocus, excepting that it is quite destitute of foliage, and 

 hence named by the English peasantry the Naked Lady. The 

 flowers are monopetalous ; the six deeply divided segments being 

 united to the neck of the corolla, which forms a long tube, reach- 

 ing the bulb in which the seed-vessel is seated, and from whence 

 the three long styles proceed through the neck of the corolla, car- 

 rying their stigmas to a sufficient height out of the ground to be 

 matured and impregnated by the farina of the six anthers, which 

 are also carried up to the air by being united to the corolla. 

 When the necessary properties of the farina have been received 

 by the stigma, and conveyed to the seed-vessels by means of the 

 long styles, the flower decays, and the fruit continues to grow 

 until the spring, when it is sent out of the ground under the 



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