NATURAL ORDER IRIDACE. 
PuateE XX.—Crocus medius. Balbis. Parlatore. Woods. Not 
gwen by Grenier and Godron. 
GenERic.—Style very long, filiform, having a broad three-lobed stigma, 
the margin of which is generally cut more or less. Perianth regular, 
campanulate, with a very long tube. 
Speciric.—Stigmas cut into a spreading head of capillary segments, 
standing higher than the anthers. Anthers much longer than the fila- 
ments. lower solitary, purple, autumnal, appearing without any leaves, 
having the divisions of the perianth smooth at the throat, and much 
shorter than the tube. Leaves broadly linear, erect, the slight channelling 
forming a white line on the upper surface. Bulb subglobose, covered 
with a reticulate tunic. 
EXPLANATION OF PLATE XX.—Plate XX. represents Crocus medius, 
the flowers of which were gathered in November, and the leaves and 
capsule in April. Fig. 1, the pistil, bearing a multifid stigma, and having 
the lower extremity clasped by the tube, which is shown divided in half. 
Fig. 2, the netted (reticulate) covering of the bulb. 
Remarxs.—According to Parlatore, this beautiful autumnal Crocus is 
peculiar to the western part of the Italian peninsula; and the following 
statement, made in the ‘‘ Botanical Register” (Bot. Reg., 1845, pl. 37, 
fig. 5), where a drawing is given, gives additional coufirmation :—“ Crocus 
medius grows in the mountain meadows near Varese in Liguria, and in 
some parts of the Riviera of Genoa. It was named by Balbis as interme- 
diate between Crocus sativus and C. pyrenaicus ; but it is, in fact, a link 
between C, byzantinus and C. pyrenaicus.” Crocus medius is very rare 
at Mentone, and the English visitors are scarcely arrived before the 
flowering is nearly at an end. The specimens figured were gathered in 
the Western Bay on November 6th, when the flowers were very scarce. 
This plant is one of the very few species of Crocus which have the same 
habit as Colchicum, and produce their blossoms so late in the autumn 
that the capsules are obliged to lie dormant throughout the winter 
waiting for the influence of the spring sun, when they appear with the 
leaves. No doubt there is some very good reason why the leaves desert 
the flower and reserve their energies in order to assist at the ripening of 
