THE BULB BOOK 



CEOCUS 



long. The flowers appear from 

 September to December, and are 

 4 to 5 ins. long, with a yellow 

 unbearded throat, and vary from 

 white to pale purple, sometimes 

 feathered with purple. {Bot. Mag. 

 sub t. 3864; Bot. Reg. 1847, t. 16; 

 Mmv, Crocus, t. 31.) 



The variety cilicicus has lilac 

 flowers veined with purple. A form 

 of it, called lilacinus, has larger soft 

 lilac-striped blossoms. The variety 

 mazziaricus is white, with a bright 

 golden-orange throat. The corms of 

 C. cancel! atiis are sold for food in the 

 markets of Damascus. 



C. candidus. — This spring-flowering 

 species has globular white flowers, 

 having the outer segments more or 

 less conspicuously veined with purple- 

 lilac {Maiv, Crocus, t. 54). The 

 variety hiteus has deep yellow flowers 

 veined and mottled with purple 

 outside. 



C. carpetanus. — A distinct species 

 from Spain and Portugal, having 

 cylindrical leaves about 8 ins. long. 

 Flowers from February to April, with 

 a white unbearded throat, and seg- 

 ments varying from delicate vinous 

 lilac to white, darker on the margins, 

 the outer surface suffused with bluish 

 veins towards the base. {Alaiv, Cro- 

 cus, t. 41.) 



C. casplus. — A native of the 

 Caspian shores, with beautiful 

 flowers in the autumn, varying from 

 white to rosy-pink and pale rosy- 

 lilac in the variety lilacina. Stigmata 

 not lobed. Rather tender, and is best 

 grown in pots in frames or cool 

 houses. {Card. Chron. 1903, xxxiv. 

 443, f. 173 ; Maiv, Crocus, t. 46.) 



C. chrysanthus. — A native of S.E. 

 Europe, with rich orange - yellow 

 flowers from January to March, with 

 yellow or rich scarlet stigmata (Bot. 

 Reg. 1847, t. 4 ; Maw, Crocus, t. 62). 

 There are several forms, including 



cdbidus, white with a blue base ; 

 Canary Bird, rich canary - yellow, 

 sweetly-scented ; fusco-lineatus, clear 

 yellow, striped with crimson-brown ; 

 cceridescens, bluish-tinted ; and fusco- 

 tinctus, clear yellow suff"used with 

 brown. Seedling forms show great 

 variation in colour, and it is by no 

 means difficult to confuse them with 

 forms of C. biflorns. 



C. Ciusi. — An autumnal Crocus, 

 native of Spain and Portugal. 

 Flowers from September to Decem- 

 ber, 3 to 4 ins. long, with a white 

 bearded throat, and pale purple 

 unfeathered segments deeper in 

 colour near the base. There is also a 

 white - flowered form. {Bot. Reg. 

 1845, t. 47 ; Ma^i', Crocus, t. 10.) 



C. corsicus (C. insularis). — A rare 

 Corsican species. Flowers in April, 

 2 to 3 ins. long, with a white or lilac 

 unbearded throat, and pale purple 

 segments, feathered and striped with 

 purple outside and tinged with buff. 

 Stigmata bright scarlet. {Maiv, Cro- 

 cus, t. 21 ; Bot. Reg. xxix. t. 21.) 



C. Crewei. — A distinct species from 

 Asia Minor, closely related to C. 

 hifiorus, and distinguished by its 

 almost black anthers and rich orange 

 centre. The flowers appear in Feb- 

 ruary, and are whitish, tinged outside 

 with buff and lined with purple. 

 {Card. Chron. 1893, xliii. 278 ; Maw, 

 Crocus, t. 60.) 



C. cyprius, from the Cyprian 

 Olympus (alt. 5000 ft.), produces its 

 bright lilac flowers with a rich purple 

 blotch at base, early in April {Maw, 

 Crocus, t. 57.) 



C. dalmaticus. — A Dalmatian 

 Crocus, with pear-shaped corms and 

 leaves 8 to 9 ins. long. Flowers in 

 February and March (and often in 

 the month of January), with a yellow 

 unbearded throat and lilac segments, 

 the outer ones shaded fawn, with a 

 few purple veins at the base, or 



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