86 HANDBOOK OF IRIDE^E. 



33. C. ETRUscus Pari. Fl. Ital. iii. 228; Baker in Bot. Mag. t. 

 6362 ; Maw, Monogr. t. 22. — Conn f-1 in. diam. ; tunics of strong 

 reticulated fibres. Basal spathe present. Leaves about three to a 

 tuft, as high as the flowers, jL i^^- broad, with reflexed edges and a 

 white band. Proper spathe monophyllous. Perianth-tube shortly 

 exserted ; segments lilac, 1-1^ in. long, the outer cream-coloured 

 and sometimes with purple feathered lines outside ; throat yellow, 

 slightly pubescent. Anthers orange, twice as long as the con- 

 colorous glabrous filaments. Style-branches orange, subentire, 

 overtopping the anthers. Seeds dull, fawn-coloured. 



Hab. Tuscan Maremma, flowering in March. Like C.suaveolens in flower 

 and C. reticulatus in its corm-tunics. We have a form from Sir E. G. Loder 

 with pure white flowers. 



AutiDnnal. 



34. C. SATivus Linn. Sp. Plant. 36 ; Pted. Lil. t. 173 ; Reich. 

 Ic. Germ. t. 360; Engl. Bot. t. 343; Maw, Monogr. t. 29. C. 

 autuinnalis Lam. C. officinalis sativns Huds. — Corm above 1 in. 

 diam., very proliferous; tunics of fine matted parallel fibres, pro- 

 duced an inch above its nect. Basal spathe present. Leaves 6-10 

 to a tuft, as high as the flower, very narrow, with reflexed ciliated 

 edges and a white band, finally l|^-2 ft. long. Proper spathe 

 diphyllous. Perianth-tube little exserted ; segments oblong, obtuse, 

 bright lilac, rarely white, 1|— 2 in. long ; throat concolorous, 

 pubescent. Anthers yellow, longer than the glabrous filaments. 

 Style branches an inch or more long, reaching to the tip of the seg- 

 ments, entire, spreading, fragrant, bright red. Seeds never pro- 

 duced in the cultivated plant. The following are the principal 

 allied wild types : — 



1. C. Orsini Pari. Fl. Ital. iii. 238. — Stigmas rather shorter 

 than in the type. Italy, near Ascoli. 



2. C. Elwesii Maw. — Flower as large as in the type, but 

 stigma shorter. Hills near Smyrna. 



3. C. Haussknechtii Boiss. — Leaves not developed till after the 

 flowers. Fibres produced 3 in. above the neck of the corm. 

 Perianth-segments narrower. Style-branches half as long as the 

 perianth-segments. Persia. 



4. C. Pallasii M.B. Fl. Taur. Cauc. iii. 35. C. Pullasianus 

 Herb. — Corm and flower smaller than in the type. Style-branches 

 about half as long as the segments. Crimea. From this the 

 Calabrian C. Thomasii Tenore {C. Thomasianics Herb.), the Eoume- 

 lian C. hijbernm Friv., and the Dalmatian C. visianicus Herb., 

 scarcely differ. 



5. C. Cartwrightianus Herb. in. Bot. Reg. xxx. t. 3, fig. 6. C. 

 (jraecus Chapel. — Perianth-segments about an inch long, narrower 

 and more distinctly striped than in the type. Style -branches 

 about as long as the perianth-segments. Low hills round Athens. 



Hab. The type is the true Saffron. Cultivated from England to the 

 Western Himalayas ; flowering in October. 



35. C. hadriaticus Herb, in Bot. Reg. 1845, Misc. 82 ; Bot. 

 Reg. 1847, t. 16, fig. 7-9 ; Maw, Monogr. t. 30.— Corm 1 in. diam. ; 



