Hexandria. 
( II ) 
SANGUINEOUS COLCHICUM. 
W E are accuftom’d to the Colchicum in great Variety 5 Angle and dou- 
ble, ftrip’d as the Tulip, and teffelated as the Fritillary : but this will 
not be the lefs welcome. The Vaftnefs of the Flower, and the Contrail 
of Colours, the perfect Blood upon the perfe(Sl Ermine, tho’ it be laid on with 
lefs Regularity, will recommend it. 
In Autumn, there rife, uncover’d from the Ground, three Flowers, or more 
in a duller, accompany’d by no Leaves, fupported by no Stalk, but naked and 
defencelefs. The Root below^ is an oblong Bulb, coated with a thick Chelhut- 
Ikin. At the Height of an Inch from the Ground, each Bud opens into a 
Flower, equally delicate and magnificent, form’d of eighteen Petals, long, wav’d 
and pointed: the Ground-colour is white, and the Spots are a bloody Crimfon. 
Nothing more is feen, unlefs by opening the Ground. Then we perceive 
thefe Flowers rife from the Centre of certain young Leaves which have 
been cover’d with them by a Scabbard, yellowilhj rib’d, and dy’d with the 
fame Purple. This Scabbard is the outer Skin of the Bulb, next within the 
brown Coat ; only growing thinner as it rifes. Within it, is another very de- 
licate Membrane, and then the Leaves, perfect at their Tops; but convoluted, 
and lefs dillin^l as they are traced downwards. They enclofe all the Way the 
Tubes of the feveral Flowers, which are white and hollow. 
The Angle Colchicum has fix Filaments and a Style : the Filarrients are in 
this double Flower obliterated; they form the inner Petals as in the dohble Tu- 
lip, but the Style remains. It is continued down to the Root, in three diftin£l 
Bodies. 
Deep in the Centre lies the Rudiment of the Seed-veflel, almoft clofe upon 
the Head of the Root, regularly form’d, tho’ very minute, and with all its Di- 
vifions. This grows and rifes afterwards with the young Leaves about it, and in 
the fucceeding Spring, pierces the Surface and ripens a large Seed-veflel with no 
apparent previous Flower ; that having blown in Autumn. A Angular and great 
Provifion of Nature for the Seeds. 
The fix Filaments (Lew this to be one of the Hexandria, the fixth Clals in 
the fexual Syftem : but when we recoiled the Flower, the Root, the Leaves, ' 
and all the Parts of the true Saffron, and fee that, becaufe the Filaments 
in that are only three, it becomes one of the Triandria, and is feparated from 
this Colchicum, and coupled with the Ixia, this Ihews the fexual Syflem, 
tho’ ufeful, is not natural. Whenever a true natural Method fhall be efta- 
blilh’d, the Colchicum and Crocus will be plac’d together. They agree in the 
Roots, Leaves, and Flowers, for tho’ the Leaves of Colchicum are broad, and 
thofe of Crocus narrow, both are grafly. They are alike in the Effentials, and 
differ only in thefe leffer Characters. 
This Flower was rais’d from Seed fav’d from the common Colchicum, ga- 
ther’d from the wild Plant in a Meadow near Calne in Wiltshire. 
I M P E- 
Colchicum flore pleno audtorum. 
