THERE is another Bastard-Saffron, brought from the Levant, about Alexandria, &c. which is in little Threads or Chives, extremely fine and small, curl'd and reddish.
This Saffron is also a kind of Carthamum, which differs not from that afore, but only as it is much less. We chuse this Flower of the highest Colour, and finest Red, and likewise as fresh as we can meet with. The Use of it is for the Dyers about Lyons and Tours, where they consume the greatest Share to make their Colours fine, as the bright Spanish Carnation, and the like.
Crocus, or Crocus Sativus, according to Tournefort and Bauhinus, in English, Saffron, is a Plant which bears several long Leaves, very narrow, and furrow'd. It springs about the End of August, or Beginning of September, with a low Stalk, or rather Foot, which supports a single Flower, something resembling that of the Colchicum, or dispos'd like the Flower de Lis, but much less, being divided into six Parts, of a blue Colour mix'd with Red and Purple; in the Middle of which Flower rise three small Threads, in the Nature of a Tuft, but divided, and of a fine Colour and Smell, which, when gather'd and dry'd, is the Saffron.
The Root of it is a Bulb as large as a Chesnut, and sometimes bigger, fleshy, sweet to the Taste, and cover'd with white or ashcolour'd Tunicles or Coats, supplied externally with a great many Fibres, whereby 'tis fasten'd to the Ground. They cultivate this Plant in several Parts of France, but the best is that of Gatinois, and the worst from Normandy. Choose your Saffron new and fresh, that is well dried and oily; but take care that it be not artificial, by keeping it in oily Skins or Bladders, as is us'd by some. Let it be of a red Colour, with as little Yellow among it as may be. It abounds with an exalted Oil, mix'd with volatile Salt; and is cordial, pectoral, anodyne, hysterick, alexiterial, aperitive, us'd sometimes as a Restorative in our Food, and in Collyries, to preserve the Eyes in the small Pox. It enters the Composition of some Plaisters, particularly Oxycroceum, but is chiefly us'd internally.