1170 Of the Hiftory of Plants. Lib.z. 
pointed^and with prickles in the edges : from the tops of the ftalks Handout little heads orknops 
of thebigneffe of an Oliue or bigger, let with many lharpe pointed and prickly fcales:out ofvvhich 
come forth floures like threds ,clofcly compa£f,of a deepe yellow fhining colour, drawing neere to 
the colour of Saffron : vnder them are long feeds, fmooth, w hite,fomewhat cornered, bigger than a 
Barly corne,the hitske whereof is fomething hard, the inner pulpe or fubftance is fat, white, fiveet in 
tafte:the rootflender and vnprofitable. 
2 There is alfo another kinde of Ballard Saffron, that may very well be numbred amongft the 
kindes ofThillles, and is very like vnto the former, failing that his flockieor threddie floures, are 
ofablew colour: the root is thicker, and the whole plant is altogether more fharpein prickles-.the 
ftalks alfo are more crefted and hairie. 
9 } The Place. 
It is fowne in diners places of Italy-, S paine, and France, both in gardens and in fields : Pliny, 
lib. 25. cap. 15. faith, that in theraigneof V efpapan this was not knowne in Italy ■, being in Egypt 
onely of good account, and that they vfed to make oile of it, and not meat. 
The Time. • 
The floures are perfeffed in Inly and Auguft : the root after the feed is ripe, the fame yeare it is 
Ibwne withereth away. 
^[The Names. 
It is called in Greeke *>««■. in Latine alfo Cnicusfrt Cnecus : in (hops } Cartamus,or Carthamum : of 
diners, Crocus horten/is, and Crocus Saracemcus : in Italian, Zaffarano Saracine[co,nndZaffarano (aluatko: 
in Spanifh, i^dIafor,ar\d Sememe clef apagatos : in high Dutch, ^jUffratU in French, Safian 
Sauuage : inEngliih, Ballard Saffron.offome,Mocke Saffron, and Saffrdn D'orte, as though you 
fhould fity Saffron dc hortepx of the garden .Theoplirafiits and Plin) call it Cnecus vrbana,andfatiua,o t 
tame and garden baftard Saffron, that it may differ from ^traflilis, which they make to be a kinde 
of Cnicus flue fir is, or wilde Baftard Saffron, but rather ajpecics of the HolyThiftle. 
The Temperature. 
We vfe faith Gdinjhz feed onely for purgations : it is hot, and that in the firft degree, as eJKefues 
vvriteth. 
TheVcrtues. 
A Theiuiceof the feed of baftard Saffron bruifed and ftrained into honied water or the broth of a 
chicken, and drunke,prouoketh rothe ftoofe,and purgeth by liege {limy flegme,and fliarp humors : 
Moreouer it is good againft tliecollicke,and difficultie of taking breath, the cough, and flopping 
ofthe breft,and is fingular againft the dropfie. 
B The feed vfed as aforefaid,and ftrained into milke,caufeth it to curdle and yeeld much cruds,and 
maketh it of great force to loofe and open the belly. 
C The floures drunke with honied water open the liuer,and are good againft the iaundice:and the 
floures are good to colour meat in ftcad of Saffron. 
D The feed is very hurtfull to the ftomacke,caufing defire tovomite,and is of hard flow digeflion^ 
remaining long in the ftomackeand entrailes. 
E Put to the fame feed things comfortable to the ftomacke,as Annife feed,Galingale,or Maffick’ 
Ginger, Sal gemma, and it ihall not hurt the ftomacke at all, and the operation thereof fhall be the 
more quicke and fpeedy. 
E Of the inward pulpe or fubftance hereof is made a moft famous and excellent compofition to' 
purge water with, commonly called Diachartamon ,a moft fingular and effectual purgation for thofc 
thathaue the dropfie. 
G The perfect defcription hereof is extant in Guido the Surgion, in his firft Doflrine.and the fixt 
Tradlate. 
H We haue not read, or had in vfe that Baftard Saffron with the blew floure, and therefore can fay 
nothing of his vertues . 
■f The figure formerly was of the C* iciu edtruleut. 
G h a p. 4 89. Of Wilde "Baftard Saffron; 
«([ The Defcription. 
1 Traclylls, otherwife called wilde Baftard Saffron,bringeth forth a ftraight and firme 
^f“^ftalke,verie fragile or brittle, diuided at the toppe into certaine branches : it hath 
long, 
