*• COL 
hiihed with {ingle, long, narrow leaves at efoh joint, 
refembling thofe of the Reed; at the bale of the leaves 
come out the fpikes of flowers, Handing on fhort 
foot-ftalks •, thefe fpikes are compofed of male flow- 
ers only, and below them is fituated one or two fe- 
male flowers ; the male flowers decay foon after they 
have Hied their farina ; but the germen of the female 
flowers fweli to a large oval feed, which is hard, 
fmooth, and of a gray colour, greatly refembling the 
feeds of Gromwel, from whence this plant has been 
by fevera! writers titled Lithofpermum. 
Thofe who are defirous to cultivate this plant in 
England, may procure the feeds from Portugal, thefe 
fhould be fown on a moderate hot-bed in the fpring, 
■ to bring the plants forward, and afterward tranfplant 
'them on a warm border, allowing each two feet room 
at leaft, and when the plants have taken root, they 
will require no farther care, but to keep them clean 
from weeds. Thefe will flower about Midfummer, 
and in warm feafons, the feeds will ripen at Mi- 
chaelmas. There is a variety of this with much 
broader leaves, which I received from Smyrna fome 
years pail, which did not perfect feeds here, fo I 
cannot fay whether it is only a variety, or a different 
fort from this. 
The fecond fort will grow to the height of feven or 
eight feet, and the Hems become hard, like the Reed, 
or Indian Corn : thefe branch out, and produce fe- 
veral fpikes of flowers ; but this fort will not live in 
the open air in England, therefore fhould be plunged 
into the bark-flove, where it will live through the 
winter, and produce ripe feeds the fecond year ; and 
may be continued longer, if defired. 
C O L C H I C U M. Lin. Gen. Plant. 415. Tourn. 
Inft. R. H. 348. tab. 181, 182. [So called from Col- 
chos, a province of the Levant (now called Mingre- 
]ia, becaufe this plant was formerly very common in 
that place.] Meadow Saffron. 
The Characters are, 
{the flower hath neither empalement or flpatha ; it hath 
one fetal, rifling with an angular tube flrom the root , 
which is divided at the top into fix oval, concave , ere hi 
ferments it hath fix Jlamina which are f sorter than the 
fetal, terminated by oblong fummits having flour valves. 
5 " he germen is fituated in the root , fupporting three fender 
ftyles the length of the flamina , crowned by reflexed chan- 
nelled fiigmas \ the germen afterward becomes a capfule 
with three lobes , having a fleam on the infide, dividing 
it into three cells , which contain fleveral roundijh rough 
feeds. 
This genus of plants is ranged in the third feCtion 
of Linnaeus’s fixth clafs, intitled Hexandria Trigynia, 
the flower having fix flamina and three ftyles. 
The Species are, 
1. Colchicum ( Autumnale ) foliis planis lanceolatis, 
crectis. Hort. Cliff. 140. Colchicum with plain , erehl, 
fpear-fhaped leaves. Colchicum commune. C. B. P. 
67. Common Meadow Saffron. 
2. Colchicum ( Montanum ) foliis linearibus, patentifli- 
mis. Lin. Sp. Plant. 342. Meadow Saffron with very 
narrow fpreading leaves. Colchicum Montanum an- 
guftifolium. C. B. P. 68. Narrow-leaved Mountain 
Meadow Saffron. 
3. Colchicum (Variegatum) foliis undulatis patentibus. 
Hort. Cliff. 1 40. Meadow Saffron with waved fpreading 
leaves. Colchicum Chionenfe, floribus fritillarise 
inftar teffulatis, foliis undulatis. Mor. Hift. 2. p. 341. 
Meadow Saffron of Chios, with chequered flowers like 
Fritillary, and waved leaves. 
4. Colchicum ( Feffulatum ) foliis planis patentibus. Col- 
chicum with plain fpreading leaves. Colchicum floribus 
fritillariae inftar teffulatis, foliis planis. Mor. Hift. 2 . 
p. 341. Meadow Saffron, with chequered flowers like 
Fritillary , and plain leaves. 
There is a greater variety of thefe flowers than any 
here enumerated, which differ in the colour of their 
flowers, and other little accidents, which are not 
lafting, fo muft not be ranged as diftinCt fpecies. 
But as many of them are cultivated in flower-gardens, 
I fhall beg leave to mention thofe varieties, which 
are frequently propagated by fiorifts. Thefe are 
rnoft of them feminal variations from the firft fort. 
The moft common Meadow Saffron hath a purpMi 
flower. 
The Meadow Saffron with white flowers; 
Meadow Saffron with flriped flowers. 
Broad-leaved Meadow Saffron. 
Striped-leaved Meadow Saffron. 
Many flowered Meadow Saffron. 
Meadow Saffron with double purplifh flowers; 
Meadow Saffron with double white flowers. 
Meadow Saffron with many white flowers. 
The firft fort grows naturally both in the weft and 
north of England. I have obferved it in great plenty 
in the meadows near Caftle Bromwich, in W arwick- 
fhire, in the beginning of September. The country 
people call the flowers Naked Ladies, becaufe they 
come up naked, without any leaves or cover. This 
hath a bulbous root, about the fize and fhape of 
thofe of the Tulip, but not fo fharp-pointed at the 
top, the fkins or cover is alfo of a darker colour, 
Thefe bulbs are renewed every year, for thofe which 
produce the flowers decay, and new roots are formed 
above. The flowers come out ip autumn ; thefe 
arife with long flender tubes from the root, about 
four inches high, fhaped like thofe of the Saffron, 
but larger they are of a pale purple colour, and 
divided into fix parts at the top, which Hand ere6t ; 
the number of flowers is generally in proportion to 
the fize of the roots, from two to feven or eight : in 
March the green leaves appear, thefe are commonly 
four to a full grown root ; they are folded over each 
other below, but fpread open above ground, Handing 
crofs-ways : they are of a deep green, and when 
fully grown, are five or fix inches long, and one and 
a half broad. The feed-veftel comes out from be- 
tween the leaves in April, and the feeds ripen in May, 
foon after which the lea.ves decay. 
The other varieties of this, are fuppofed to have ac- 
cidentally rifen from the feeds of this fo that thofe 
who are defirous to obtain a variety of thefe flowers. 
* * 
mould propagate them from feeds, by which method 
there may be a greater variety railed. 
The fecond fort grows naturally on the mountains in 
Spain and Portugal. This hath a fmaller root than 
the firft, and a darker coat ; the flowers appear in 
Auguft or September ; thefe are cut into fix long 
narrow fegments, of a reddifli purple colour, having 
fix yellow flamina. The leaves of this fort come up 
foon after the flowers decay, and continue green all 
the winter, like the Saffron •, thefe are long, narrow, 
and fpread on the ground ; in June thefe decay like 
the firft fort. ' 
The third and fourth forts grow naturally in the Le- 
vant, but are commonly cultivated in the EnglifTh 
gardens. Thefe flower at the fame time as the firft 
fort, and the green leaves come up in the fpring. The 
root of one of thefe fpecies, is fuppofed to be the Her- 
modaftyl of the fhops. 
Thefe are all very pretty varieties for a flower-garden, 
producing their flowers in autumn, when few other 
plants are in beauty; and are therefore, by fome, 
called Naked Ladies. The green leaves come up 
in the fpring, which are extended to a great length 
in May, then the green leaves begin to decay ; foon 
after which time, is the proper feafon to tranfplant 
their roots ; for if they are fuffered to remain in the 
ground till Auguft, they will fend forth frefh fibres , 
after which time it will be too late to remove them. 
The roots may be kept above ground until the be- 
ginning of Auguft ; at which time, if they are not 
planted, they will produce their flowers as they lie 
out of the ground, but this will greatly weaken 
their roots. The manner of planting their roots being 
the fame as Tulips, &c. I fhall forbear mentioning 
it here, referring the reader to that article : and alfo 
for fowing the feeds* by which means new varieties 
may be obtained, I fhall refer to the article Xi- 
phion ; where will be proper directions for this 
work, 
4 A COLD 
