CROCUS. 
CLASS I.—FLOWER ENCLOSED IN A SHEATH SPRINGING 
FROM THE BASE OF THE SCAPE 
SECTION I.—CORM ENCLOSED IN MEMBRANE, OR IN 
MEMBRANOUS COAT WITH PARALLEL LINES 
AUTUMN FLOWERING 
C. asturicus greatly resembles Nudiflorus, but has the leaves just 
showing as the flower comes up, and the throat is bearded. It isa 
beautiful species, and like so many, has an albino form, as well 
as various others—lilacinus, atropurpureus, pallidus, azureus, &c. 
(Northern Spain.) c 
C. byzantinus, Ker-Gawl., C. iridiflorus, Heuff., very beautiful 
indeed, with glossy pointed leaves much broader than usual, and the 
three inner segments of the lovely pure-violet flower remarkably smaller 
than the three outer ones—so as to give indeed almost the look of 
a minute Iris unguicularis. This does best in a rather shady position, 
and flowers about October. There is a fine white form,in which the 
stigmata are pale yellow instead of lilac as in the type. 
C. Clusii from Portugal also blooms in October, and also sends up its 
leaves in advance of the lilac blossoms. But here the corm is clothed 
in a netted coat. 
C. karduchorum, from Turkestan, differs chiefly from Zonatus in 
having the anthers yellow, and the segments of the cup feathered with 
dark lines. | 
C. nudiflorus, as usual in this group, has the leaves dormant at 
flowering time. It has notably large and nubbly corms, and increases 
freely when happy, by emitting runners from them. The throat is 
smooth at the base inside, and the inner segments have a purple rim, 
as they pass down towards the tube. Its native home is in the 
Pyrenees, but it has long established itself in Engiand. 
C. ochroleucus makes a flat corm, and sends up its narrow-rayed 
white cups with their white stigmata, together with the leaves, in 
October and November. (Palestine.) 
C. Salzmannii, a very strong grower with a specially large corm, 
clothed in a specially coarse coat of membrane, with parallel fibres. 
It loves a sunny ledge, and heralds the approach of its delicate lilac 
flower in October by sending up its grassy tuft of leaves beforehand. 
It is a specially hearty grower, and mice accordingly feed upon it 
with a special heartiness. (Spain and Tangier.) 
C. Scharojani requires care, and should be grown in a sandy moraine 
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