THE CEOCTJS FAMILY. 399 



crinoline narcissus, or N. Bulbocodium, the N. bicolor, the N. Jonquilla, or jon- 

 quil, both single and double, and the N. Tazetta, or polyanthus-narcissus (Fig. 

 199), in many varieties, are also common. The last named is generally grown 

 Tinder cover, and a favourite plant for parlour culture. Besides these, there are 

 the snow-flake, or Leucojum cestivum, (Curtis, ii. 315.) a rare indigenous species, 

 resembhng a gigantic snowdrop, with clustered flowers, and the sepals and petals 

 all of the same size ; and many superb flowers belonging to the genera Crinum, 

 Amaryllis, Pancratium, and Alstrcemeria. The great American aloe, or Agave 

 Americana, belongs to the same family. 



CXXIX.— THE CROCUS FAMILY. IridacecB. 



The inferior ovary of the Amaryllidese is again found in the Crocus 

 Family, but in company with only three stamens, the anthers of which 

 are turned outwards. In most cases the Iridacese also present a very 

 peculiar habit of foliage, the leaves being " equitant," or placed on 

 opposite sides of the stem, and with their edges at right angles with 

 the ground. These characters keep them perfectly distinct from the 

 Liliaceae, while from the Orchis Family they are distinguished by 

 their imiformly regular flowers. They are natives principally of the 

 Cape of Good Hope, a good many others growing in the middle parts of 

 Europe and North America, and are remarkable, like their kindred, 

 more for beauty of form than for economic properties. There are in 

 all about five hundred. 



Two species are reputed wild in England, but four of the genus 

 Crocus are probably supposititious. Three out of the six genuine 

 species occur near Manchester. 



1. Flower-stems leafy, two to three feet high. Leaves equitant,x 

 broad, stiff, and erect. Flowers near the summit of the 

 stem, large, erect, bright yellow, enriched with purple, 

 and very handsome, the three larger segments elegautly - 

 curved outwards and downwards like the plumes of the 

 Prince of Wales' feather. Stigmas three, resembling yel- 

 low petals ■ 



8. Leaves all radical, very narrow linear, six to eight inches long, 

 Flowers purple, almost sessile among the foliage, tubular 

 below, the upper portion in six large, elliptical, and nearly V^ ^"oeocub 

 equal segments. Blossoms in spring, along with the 

 young leaves 



3. Like the preceding, but the flowers produced in autumn,) .« 

 when the leaves of the current year are withered j 



Ykllow Wateb- 



FLAG. 



Purple Spring 



