MEADOW SAFFRON. TREACLE MUSTARD. 



61 



The " common meadow saffron/' or the Colchicum 

 autmnnale," has the leaves flat, lanceolate, erect. Root 

 bulbous, fleshy, milky, perishmg after the ripening of the 

 seeds ; but first throwing out a lateral bulbous shoot, which 

 produces the flowers of the ensuing year. Flowers generally 

 purplish, opening in the latter end of September without 

 stem or leaves. Leaves appearing in the ensuing spring, a 

 foot long, broad, flattish, obtuse, dark green, upright, three 

 or four together, sheathing. Capsules rising with the leaves, 

 and ripening the seeds in May. The smell of the plant is 

 very strong and nauseous, and the succulent bulb is poison- 

 ous to man and beast. 



In an agricultural point of view, it is certainly a noxious 

 weed to the farmer ; not, indeed, on account of its poisonous 

 qualities, for neither cows, horses, nor sheep will touch it; 

 but on account of its broad leaves, which occupy the place of 

 better herbage. The only method of getting rid of it, is to 

 dig up the bulbs with a spade, and to replace the earth when 

 they have been separated from it. 



25. " Treacle mustard," or the " Thlaspi" of botany, is not 

 vmcommon as a weed in meadows and pastures. It belongs 

 to the class and order " Tetradynamia Siliculosa" of Linneus, 

 and the natural order Cruciferae" of Jussieu. 



Generic character. — Calyx : perianth inferior, of four, 

 ovate, concave, somewhat spreading, deciduous leaves. 

 Corolla cruciform, equal, of four obovate petals, twice the 

 length of the calyx, with narrow claws. Stamina : filaments 

 six, but half the length of the corolla, the two opposite ones 

 still shorter ; anthers pointed. Pistil : germen superior, 

 roundish, compressed, emarginate; style simple, the length 

 of the stamens ; stigma obtuse. Pericarp : pouch com- 

 pressed, inversely heart-shaped, emarginate, the style being 

 mostly the length of the notch in which it stands, of two 

 cells, the partition lanceolate ; and the valves boat-Hke, with 

 more or less of a dilated keel. Seeds : several in each cell, 

 pendulous, inserted into the sutures, roundish, compressed. 



Essential character. — Pouch compressed, emarginate, 

 inversely heart-shaped ; its valves, boat-like, keeled. Seeds 

 several. 



