Of the Hiftorie of Plants. 
Lib. i 
151 
TheDeJcnftion. £ 
A Lthough I haue expreffed two pi&ures of Saffrons, as you fee, yet are you to \:nderftand that 
thefe two do but let forth one kinde of plant, which could not fo ealily be perceiued by one 
pidtureas by tvvo,becaufchis floure doth firft rife out of the ground nakedly in September, 
and his long final gralfy leaues fhortly after the floure, neuer bearing floure and leafeat once. The 
which toexpreffe,! thought it contienient to fet downe two pidures before you, with this defcrip- 
rion,w^. Theroot is fmall, round, and bulbous. The floure confifteth of fixe fmallblew leaues 
tending to purple, hailing in the middle many fmall yellow firings orthreds ; among which are 
two, three, or more tliickc fat chiues of a fierie colour fomewhat rtddifh, of a ftrong Irnell when 
they be dried, which doth fluffeand trouble the head. Thcfirft pidure fetteth forth the Plant 
when it beareth floures, and the other expreffeth nothing but leaues. 
i Crocus verniss. 2 Crocus verms minor. 
Early flouring wilde Saffron. Small wilde Saffron. 
The Time. 
Saffron bcginneth to floure in September, and prefently after fpringvp the leaues,and remaine 
greenc all the Winter long. 
TheNnmes. 
Saffron is called in Greeke, xf«* : in Latine, Crocus : in Mauritania, Sufi nun : in Spanifh,^^- 
jron : in Englifh, Saffron : in the Arabicke tongue, Ztthafaran. 
TbeTemper attire. 
Saffron is a little aftringent or binding, but his hot qualitie doth fo ouer-rule in it, that in the 
whole effence it is in the number of thofeherbes which are hot in the fecond degree, and drie in 
the firft : therefore it alfo hath a certaine force toconcod, which is furthered by the fmall aftri- 
ction that is in it, as Golen faith. 
The Vertues. 
. Atticw. affirmeth that it caufeth head-ache, and is hurtfull to the braine, which it cannot doby 
taking it now and then, but by too much vfing ofit : for too much vfingof it cutteth o.ff fleepe, 
through want whereof the head and fences are out of frame. But the moderate vfe ofit is good 
for the head, and nraketh the fences more quicke and liuely,fhaketh off heauy and drowfie fleepe, 
and nraketh a man merry. 
B Alfo Saffron ftrengthneth the heart, concofterh crudeand raw humors of the cheft , openeth 
the lungs, and remoueth obftrudions. 
It is 
