Am.  Jour.  Pharni. 
August,  1898. 
Note  on  Saffron. 
389 
quite  long  (about  20  to  25  millimeters  in  length),  consequently 
many  of  the  flowers  are  broken  in  one  or  more  pieces.  The  corolla 
tube  is  yellowish  or  almost  colorless.  The  upper  portion  is  divided 
into  five  lobes,  which  are  bright  red,  and  in  the  dry  drug  partially 
surround  the  anthers.  From  above  these  lobes,  if  the  flowers  are 
ripe,  project  the  five  stamens,  united  by  means  of  their  anthers  (syn- 
genesious).  The  pollen  grains  are  very  numerous  compared  to 
crocus,  and  are  somewhat  larger  and  of  characteristic  shape.  The 
outer  surface  is  extended  into  a  prickly  or  spiny  surface,  and  when 
the  pollen  grains  are  ripe  they  are  seen  to  possess  three  prominent 
lid-shaped  areas,  through  which  the  pollen  tubes  protrude. 
On  the  inferior  ovary  is  a  style,  which  when  ripe  is  longer  than 
the  corolla  tube.  The  lower  portion  of  the  style  is  smooth,  but 
above  and  at  the  surface  of  the  bifid  stigmas  it  is  covered  with  long 
hairs.  Among  the  latter  are  found  some  germinating  pollen  grains. 
Along  each  of  the  two  fibro-vascular  bundles  extends  a  secretion 
vessel  marked  as  a  brown  line. 
III.  Calendula  consists  chiefly  of  the  ligulate  corolla  of  Calendula 
officinalis,^.  This  is  rather  long  and  broad,  varying  from  15  to 
20  millimeters  x  5  millimeters.  It  possesses  four  prominent  veins, 
and  at  the  apex  are  four  indentations.  The  epidermis  cells  of  the 
upper  surface  resemble  those  of  some  other  ray  flowers  of  the  Com- 
posite, viz.,  in  that  they  contain  yellowish  oily  drops.  The  outer 
surface  of  the  corolla  near  the  base  possesses  very  peculiar  and 
characteristic  hairs.  The  ovary,  style  and  stigma  are  not  found 
abundantly  in  the  drug.  The  style  is  much  shorter  than  in  Car- 
thamus,  the  stigma  is  bifid  and  a  few  pollen  grains  are  met  which 
resemble  those  of  Carthamus  and  other  Compositse,  but  are  smaller 
than  in  Carthamus,  measuring  at  the  most  40  mikrons.  When 
Calendula  is  used  as  a  substitute  or  adulterant  for  Crocus,  it  is 
colored  reddish  by  means  of  hematoxylin,  safranin,  fuchsin,  etc. 
The  most  striking  and  characteristic  test  distinguishing  crocus 
from  its  substitutes  and  adulterants  is  the  use  of  concentrated  sul- 
phuric acid.  The  test  may  be  made  on  a  microscopic  slide  or  in 
watch-crystal  or  in  a  test-tube.  The  greatest  care  must  be  exer- 
cised that  the  glass  is  clean  and  that  the  sulphuric  acid  is  CP.  The 
acid  is  added  to  the  saffron  or  substitute  and  the  following  are  the 
characteristic  color  reactions  brought  out  distinguishing  crocus 
from  carthamus  and  calendula: 
