C *53 ] 



BULBOCODIUM VERNUM. VERNAL 

 BULBOCODIUM. 



Clajs and Order. 

 Hexandria Monogynia. 



Generic Charatler. 

 Corolla infundibuliformis, hexapetala: unguibus anguftis 

 ftaminiferis. Capjula fupera. 



Specific Charatler and Synonyms. 

 BULBOCODIUM vernum foliis lanceolatis. Linn. Syjl. Veg. 



ed. 14. Murr. p. 320. Ait. Hort. Kew. v. 1. 



p. 421. Retz. Obf. Bot. Fafc. 2. /. 1. 

 COLCHICUM vernum hifpanicum. Bauh. Pin. 69. 

 Medowe Saffron of the fpring. Park. Parad. p. 158-159./. 7« 



The excellent and learned Cm si us, in the fecond appendix 

 to his hiftory of rare plants, gives a very good figure of this 

 plant, both in flower and feed, accompanied with its hiftory; 

 our Parkinson alfo reprefents it in his Parad. terr. and gives 

 fuch a minute defcription of it, as convinces us he muft have 

 cultivated it at the time he wrote : Mr. Miller appears not 

 to have been well acquainted with it, or he would not have 

 defcribed its root to be like that of the Snowdrop ; had he 

 faid Colchicum, he would not have milled: Retzius alfo in 

 his Bot. Obf. gives a figure of it with the flower difle&ed. 



The Bulbocodium y of which there is only one fpecies, is a 

 mountainous plant, a native of Spain, and flowers in the open 

 ground at the fame time as the Crocus, for a purple variety of 

 which it might eafily be miftaken at firfl fight; but it differs 

 from the Crocus in having fix ftamina, and from the Colchicum, 

 to which it is very nearly allied, in having one ftyle inftead of 

 three. 



It is at prefent a rare plant in our gardens, which we attri- 

 bute to its bulbs not admitting of much increafe, as well as 

 to its being liable to be killed by froft, and* hence re- 

 quiring more care than it may be thought entitled to from 

 its appearance. 



It varies in the colour of its flowers. 



