the autumnal Crocus of Malta. Dried specimens exhibit two 
different varieties evidently akin to Versicolor from Dalmatia 
and the hills near Tifflis, and it is probable that the small 
dark varieties called Versicolor in our gardens, which have 
no yellow in the throat, do not spring from the Gallic plant. 
In Italy versicolor and insularis pass into Imperatonianus and 
suaveolens, to which they have much affinity; while the 
fragrant autumnal family of C. odorus v. longiflorus and Meli- 
tensis are confined to Italy and Sicily and to Malta. On the 
mountains near Genoa, and abundant near Varese in Liguria, 
we find C. medius, a purple autumnal Crocus, insufficiently 
known, but probably allied to C. odorus. 
Near Parma originates the family of the annulate Croci, 
which is best known by the plant called biflorus, or by English 
nurserymen Scotch Crocus. It is not ascertained from whence 
that plant was obtained. It is distinguished from all others 
by the yellow leaf-sheaths of its sprout, and is stated by Bory 
St. Vincent to grow round the Gulf of /Egina, but the fact is 
not distinetly ascertained. The Italian varieties ranking under 
the name Pusillus have the sheaths white, the external stripes 
on the straw-colour fewer, the internal colour white or pale 
blue, and in the Florentine plant (which differs also in its 
bracte) unstreaked straw-colour without, and pale blue within. 
It is stated to extend into Corfu, and similar forms appear in 
dry specimens from Tauria and Tiflis. In the Crimea is 
found C. Adamicus, a beautiful plant of this family, blue 
striped, varying towards purple; and, according to a specimen 
from the steppes near Odessa, (if the bulb and flower sent 
belong to one plant) to deep purple, which I propose to call 
variety leemesianus, after H. M. Consul at Odessa, Mr. 
Yeames, to whom I am indebted for the discovery of this 
plant and C. nivigena. A specimen found by Fridwalski 
in some part of Houmelia exhibits a small plant of this 
family (which has a thick membranaceous bulb-coat, and a 
smooth detached ring at bottom) with a golden flower. 
C. Thomasianus in Lucania exhibits the western type of the 
family of C. sativus, the cultivated saffron Crocus, which 
seems more closely connected with Pallasianus and Cart- 
wrightianus, but of which the native spot in the east is not 
ascertained. C. Byzantinus is an autumnal Crocus, with 
