I. 
CHAP. DCXI. 
Of SAFFRON Wild; 
Commonly called 
CROCUS. 
T HE Homes. It is called in Greek , 
uyetQ- ■ in Latine, Crocus Sy/vejh ls • and 
in EngliSh , fPiiAJ Saffron , but more commonly by 
our Gardiners and Fkmfts, Crocus, and Crocus s 
when fpeaking of the feveral Kinds thereof 
II- 'the Kinds. There are, feveral Species of 
this Plant , As they are denominated Irom their 
Times or Seafons of Flowering, which are, Firft , 
thofe of the Vernal Kinds , or which Flower in the 
Spring , which are I. Thofe of a white Color , II. 
Thofe of a Purple Color. III. Thofe of a Te/low. 
under every one of which Colours there are feveral 
Varieties. Secondly , Thofe of the Autumn Kind , or 
which Flower in the Fall of the Leaf. The feveral 
Varieties of all thefe general Species are fo many 
that we (hall not trouble you with the Catalogue 
of their Names in this Paragraph, but rather give 
you each of them in their order as we fhall now 
deferibe them. 
T be Descriptions. 
I. Vernal White Crocus’s. 
III. i. Crocus vernus albus perfetfus minor. The 
Vernal or Spring fmaller pure white Saffron Flow- 
er, or Crocus. Its Root ( by which it is plentifully 
encreafed ) is fmall, round and flat at Bottom 
fomething White on the out fide, but whiter within 
Jhooting out fmall Sprouts on every fide thereof, 
which is the be ft Obfervation to know this kind 
and the leffer Purple by their Roots being both alike 
and differing from all other, the Roots of /fo Saffron 
Flowers or Crocus’s. This fmall Crocus fprings up 
in the beginning of the Tear , with three or four 
fmall green Leaves , fomething broader, and much 
Shorter than the true Saffron in the former Chapter, 
each Leaf having a white Line down its middle be- 
tween thefe Leaves out of d white Skin, rifes up one 
or two fmall Flowers, c on fi fling of fix Leaves a piece 
as all the reft in general are, of a pure white Color 
without any Mixture in it, which abide not in F low- 
er above a Week or fcarcely fo much, fo quickly is 
the delightful Appearance of this , and the purple 
Crocus, loft. It flowers not for the moft part untill 
a Month after the flowering of the yellow Crocus 
and ordinary ftript Crocus’s are pa ft. The Seed is 
fmall, round and reddijh , yet not fo Red as the 
Seed of the Yellow , contained in three cornered 
Heads -, which yet notwithftanding, very feldom 
bears fo as to be fruitful. 
IV. 2. Crocus albus major multiflorus. The great 
Snow White Crocus. This greater Saffron Flower 
V- 3 - Crocus albus major alter •, iMafiacus Ditius 
The other great VVhite Saffron Flower or Crocus, 
°r Crocus of Mefia. Its foot is not covered with 
any reddijh Skin, but rather with a pale Tunicle or 
Coat. This great White Mefian Crocus rifes up 
° l u ° 1 ^ e aim oft as early as the fir ft fort of 
the yellow, with four or five Leaves, being very like 
unto the Leaves ofjjte Yellow Crocus, and as large 
with white Lines inf hern. The Flowers alfo are as 
large as the Flowers of' the Tellow,- and many like- 
wfe, rifling one after another, like' unto it, but not 
of fo pure a white Color, as the former lafl defer ibed, 
but rather tending' t^ Milky or Cream Color. 
VI. 4. Crocus' af^ Mafiacus fundoviolaceo, The 
great Mefian white Crocus with a blew Bottom. 
This Kind is like unto the former in all things, fa- 
vmg that the bottoms of the Flowers, with fome part 
of the Stalk next the Flower, are of a pale finning 
purple color, and rifling up a pretty way into the 
Flower: whereas another alfo of this Kind, has a 
little fhew or mark of blew, and not purple , at the 
bottom of the Flower only, which makes the dif- 
ference. 
VII. 5. Crocus albus fundo purpureo. The white 
Crocus with a purple bottom. This is of the fame 
Kind with the firft , as well in its Root, as in its Leaf 
and Flower , in none of t hem differing from it ■, but that 
m the bottom of this Flower , with that part of the 
fhort foot Stalk next unto it, is of a Violet or pur- 
ple color, andfometimes having here and there fome 
fmall purple Lines or Spots on the white Leaves. 
It Flowers alfo with the firft White, or fomething 
VIII. 6. Crocus Vernus albus • ft ri at us , The 
ftriped white Crocus. Its Root is white on the out 
fide like the firft White, but greater , with young 
ones growing round about it. This Stfp’d Crocus is 
hkewfe near a kin to the firft White Kind, having 
the like Leaves and Flowers, fomewhat larger but 
f aiding al moft as foon as they : but herein this Flower 
differs, that it bar pale blewifh Lines and Spots, in 
all the Leaves the reef, but more e Specially on the 
three outward Leaves'. ■ 
IX. 7. Crocus Vernus albus poly anthos verfi color , 
The greater particolored whi te Crocus. Its Root is 
fomething like the Second White, but of a little 
more dusky color on the out fide, and not budding 
out on the fides , or but very little. This Greatrf 
particolored Crocus has its green Leaves like unto 
the Second great white Crocus before defenbed, at 
Se£L 5. having more Flowers than any of the for- 
mer, except the Firft great White at Serf. 4. above , 
the Leaves whereof have greater Stripes than the 
laft deferibed Crocus, but of a purple Violet color, 
making each Leaf feem oftentimes to have, as much 
purple as white in them. 
X. 8. Crocus Vernus albus verficolor minor. The 
leffer particolored white Crocus. Its Root is like 
unto the laft-, and its Leaves and Flowers, are for 
their bignefs equal in a manner will) them : but it 
has not fo many Flowers rifing together from the 
Root. The Flower is finely mark'd with blew Strokes 
on the white Leaves, but nothing fo much as in the 
former. # 
XL 9. Crocus Epifcopalis, The Bilhops Crocus. 
This Flower ^particolored, and is very like both in 
iti Leaves and Roots unto the Neapolitan blew 
Crocus, but fomething larger. The Flowers do abide 
not fo long- a time blown, and have all their Leaves 
~ ” \ uuwer not jo lung- a iime mown, ana. nave all tbeir Leaves 
or Crocus rifes up ufually with three or four green wholly white , with blew Stripes on both fides of them 
Leaves, larger than the former, with a white Line lor wholly of a fine delayed blew Violet color, and the 
in every one of them. The Flowers are greater and three inmoft more blew, and finely Striped, both on 
more in Number rifing together but flowering one their infides and out fides and fometimes it ha been 
af ter another, of a pure Snow white Color, and con - \feen to have 3 Leaves white, and 3 Leaves of a pale 
tinning but a little longer in Flower than the former. I blew 0 
XII. 10, 
