Tab. 6362. 

 CEOCUS ETRUSCUS. 



Native of Italy. 



Nat. Ord. IbidacejE.— Tribe IxiejE. 

 Genus Ckocus, Tournef. {Baker inJourn. Linn. Soc. vol. xvi. p. 79.) 



Croccs etruscus ; cormo globoso, tunicis exterioribus fibns crassis reticulars, 

 foliis 2-6 synanthiis anguste linearibus albo-vittatis margmibus revolutis, 

 spatba basali nulla, spatha propria monopbylla, penantlm tubo segmentis 

 duplo longiori, fauce glabro luteo, segmentis oblongis obtusis intus liiacinis, 

 exterioribus dorso pallidioribus fasciis 5 lilacinis phimosis percursis, inten- 

 oribus basi solum vittatis, staminibus luteis, stigmatibus aurantiacis 

 indivisis. 



C. etruscus, Pari. Fl. Ital. vol. iii. p. 228 ; Baker in Gard. Ghron. 1876, p. 622; 

 Journ. Linn. Soc. vol. xvi. p. 82. 



We owe this interesting addition to our stock of culti- 

 vated Crocuses to the enterprise and energy of Mr. George 

 Maw. Before 1876, not even a dried specimen had reached 

 England, and it was known to us only by the description ot 

 Parlatore. Mr. Maw undertook an expedition to Italy 

 expressly for the purpose of hunting it out, and after mucn 

 trouble, succeeded in accomplishing his object. The locality 

 where he obtained it was Salita de Filetto, near Massa 

 Marittima, in the Tuscan Maremma, where he found it in 

 plenty, in full flower, at the middle of March. It is a well- 

 marked species, taking a place in the series of vernal Udon- 

 tostigmas, midway between Sieberi and reticulata {yariegatus). 

 It has the coarse corm-coats of the latter, with a perianth 

 limb like that of the former on the inside, but approximating 

 to that of variegatus by having the outer segments distinctly 

 striped externally from the summit to the base. The present 

 plate was drawn from specimens presented by Mr. Maw, 

 which flowered at Kew this present spring. 



Desce. Corm subglobose ; outer tunics as in C. reticulatus 

 and Susianus, composed of coarse reticulated fibres. Leaves 



MAY 1ST, 1H7H 



