the autumnal Crocus of Malta. Dried specimens exhibit two 

 different varieties evidently akin to Versicolor from Dalniatia 

 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 

 frag-rant autumnal familv 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 JEgina, but the fact is 

 not distinctly 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 Tiffiis. In the Crimea is 

 found C. Adamicus, a beautiful plant of fhis 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 Isemesianus, 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 Roumelia 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 saff'ron 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 



