CROCUS 



THE BULB BOOK 



CROCUS 



spotted with orangc-ycUow {Jiof. Jieg. 

 XXX. t. 3). 



Tliere is a lovely white-flowered 

 form, with white anthers. 



C. reticulatus (C variegaUis). — A 

 pretty Crocus from Central and S.E. 

 Europe. The flowers appear in March, 

 and vary from white to deep lilac, the 

 outer segments being feathered with 

 purple, while the anthers are orange 

 and the stigmata scarlet. {Lodd. 

 Bot. Cab. t. 1822 ; Maiv, Croats, t. 

 35.) 



C. Salzmanni. — A vigorous autumnal 

 Crocus from the S. of Spain and 

 N. Africa, having flowers with a 

 bearded yellow throat, and pale lilac or 

 sometimes white segments, feathered 

 with purple outside (Bot. Mag. t. 

 6000; Maiv, Crocus, t. 9; Bot. Reg. 

 1847, t. 4). 



C. sativus. — This is the "SafiVon 

 Crocus," once grown extensively 

 at Safi"ron-Walden, in Essex. 

 Its many forms are found from 

 Italy eastwards to Kurdistan, 

 and may be distinguished by 

 the rather large, globular, de- 

 pressed corms, and narrow, 

 keeled and ciliated leaves. The 

 flowers appear from October to 

 December, and have a white 

 or purple bearded throat and 

 bright lilac segments, purple 

 towards the throat and suffused 

 throughout with purple veins. 

 The scarlet drooping stigmata 

 are occasionally fringed, and 

 about 2 ins. long. The cul- 

 tivated forms furnish the 

 safi'ron of commerce, but they 

 never produce seed. [Bot. Mag. 

 t. 274 ; Red. Lil. t. 173 ; ^faw, 

 Crocus, t. 29.) Of the many 

 forms, those most often seen 

 are Cartivrightianus, lilac, and 

 its white form alhus ; Elwesi, ro.sy- 

 lilac ; Ilaussknechti, white with yellow 

 base, very free - flowering ; Ballad, 



lilac, delicately veined, with a white- 

 flowered sub-variety from Patras ; 

 Taitia, deep lilac ; some of these seed 

 freely. 



C. Scharojanl. — A handsome Crocus 

 from the Western Caucasus, where it 

 grows wild at an elevation of 7000 ft. 

 The flowers appear in July and August, 

 and are of a bright deep orange-yellow. 

 The leaves appear after the flowers, 

 and persist until the flowering period 

 the following year. {Gartenjl. t. 578 ; 

 Mau', Crocus, t. 3.) 



0. serotinus.— A rare and rather 

 difficult Crocus to grow. It is 

 supposed to be a native of Spain, and 

 produces its bright lilac or purple 

 flowers about November. It requires 

 protection in a cold frame or under a 

 hand - glass. {Salish. Barad. t. 30 ; 

 Bot. Mag. t. 1267.) 



C. Sieberi (C nivalis ; C. suhlimis). 



Fio. 107.— Crocus Sieberi versicolor. (^) 



— This species, from the Greek moun- 

 tains and Archipelago, flowers in 

 February and March. The roundish 



172 



