I shall not neede to trouble you with an idle tale of the name of Crocus, which were to little purpose, nor to reiterate the former names imposed vpon them; let it suffice that the fittest names are giuen them, that may distinguish them one from another; onely this I must giue you to vnderstand, that the gold yellow Crocus or Saffron flower, is the true Crocus Mæsiacus, as I shewed before; and that neither the yellow stript, or cloth of gold (which wee so call after the Dutch name Gaud Laken) is the true Mæsiacus, as some suppose; and that the great white Saffron flower, by reason of his likenesse vnto the gold yellow, is called Crocus albus Mæsiaci facie, or facie lutei, that is, The white Saffron flower that is like the Mæsiacus or yellow.
The Vertues.
The true Saffron (for the others are of no vse) which wee call English Saffron, is of very great vse both for inward and outward diseases, and is very cordiall, vsed to expell any hurtfull or venomous vapours from the heart, both in the small Pockes, Measels, Plague, Iaundise, and many other diseases, as also to strengthen and comfort any cold or weake members.
| 1 | Crocus vernus luteus vulgaris. The common yellow spring Crocus. |
| 2 | Crocus verus sativus Autumnalis. The true Saffron. |
| 3 | Crocus Byzantinus argenteus. The siluer coloured Autumne Crocus. |
| 4 | Crocus Pyrenæus purpureus. The purple mountaine Crocus. |
| 5 | Crocus montanus Autumnalis. The Autumne mountaine Crocus. |
| 6 | Sisyrinchium maius. The greater Spanish Nut. |
Chap. XVIII.
Sisyrinchium. The Spanish Nut.
I can doe no otherwise then make a peculiar Chapter of this plant, because it is neither a Crocus, although in the roote it come somewhat neare vnto that kinde that is netted; but in no other part agreeing with any the delineaments of a Saffron flower, and therefore could not be thrust into [the Chapter] amongst them: neither can I place it in the forefront of [the Chapter] of the Iris bulbosa, or bulbous Flowerdeluces, because it doth not belong to that Family: and although the flower thereof doth most resemble a Flowerdeluce, yet in that no other parts thereof doe fitly agree thereunto, I haue rather chosen to seate it by it selfe betweene them both, as partaking of both natures, and so may serue in stead of a bridge, to passe from the one to the other, that is, from the Crocus or Saffron flower, to the Iris bulbosa or bulbous rooted Flowerdeluce, which shall follow in the [next Chapter] by themselues.
The Spanish Nut hath two long and narrow, soft and smooth greene leaues, lying for the most part vpon the ground, and sometimes standing vp, yet bending downewards; betweene these leaues riseth vp a small stalke, halfe a foote high, hauing diuers smooth soft greene leaues vpon it, as if they were skinnes, through which the stalke passeth; at the toppe whereof stand diuers flowers, rising one after another, and not all flowring at once: for seldome shall you haue aboue one flower blowne at a time, each whereof doth so quickly passe and fade away, that one may well say, that it is but one dayes flower, or rather the flower of a few houres: the flower it selfe hath nine leaues, like vnto a Flowerdeluce, whereof the three that fall downe, haue in each of them a yellow spot: the other three, which in the Flowerdeluces are hollow and ridged, couering the other three that fall downe, in this stand vpright, and are parted at the ends: the three that stand vp in the middle are small and short: the whole flower is smaller then any Flowerdeluce, but of sundry colours; for some are of an excellent skie colour blew, others of a Violet purple, others of a darker purple colour, and some white, and many others mixed, either pale blew and deepe purple, or white and blew mixed or striped together very variably, quickly fading as I said before: the seede is enclosed in small cods, so thinne and transparent that one may easily see, and tell the seeds as they lye, which are of a brownish red colour: the roote is small, blackish and round, wrapped in a thicke skinne or huske, made like vnto a net, or somewhat like vnto the roote of the cloth of gold Crocus: when the plant is in flower, it is found to haue two rootes one aboue another, whereof the vppermost is firme and sound, and the vndermost loose and spongie, in like manner as is found in the rootes of diuers Orchides or Satyrions, Bee-flowers and the like, and without any good taste, or sweetnesse at all, although Clusius saith otherwise.