THE GENUS CROCUS. 



20 



r 6q. pulchellus. C. 



48. veneris. C u j f 



66. Fleischeri. 



67. parviflorus. 



Of the thirty-two species in district D, fifteen species extend beyond it, thirteen 

 to the west, one both to the west and south, and one or two species to the south 



into Syria. 



E. Syria and Palestine. 



(4. zonatus?) D. 43- hyemalis. 



" ochroleucus. 44- hermoneus 



11 . „ r n so. vitellmus. D.' 



31. cancellatus. (. 1>- - 1 



40. Gaillardotii. 



Of the seven species in district E, one only, C. cancellatus, extends beyond 

 it both to the west and north, and one, or perhaps two others to the north. 



P. Central Asia, and east of the Caspian, Ala Tau Mountains, and Samarkand. 



+5. alatavicus. 5*- Korolkowi. 



Neither of which occur to the west of the Caspian. 



It will be seen that within each of the districts, the east European "C 

 excepted the endemic species, or those peculiar to each district, exceed in number 

 those that have a wider range; and in the east European district, which forms 

 the centre of the Crocus-Area, the species which are transgressrve but slightly 

 exceed in number those that are endemic. 



In the centre of the area of distribution of a genus, it is only to be expected 

 that there will occur a greater intermingling of species than on its confines; but 

 in the case of the Croci the isolation of the species at the extreme eastern and 

 western end of the Crocus-Area is remarkable, the species being notably less 

 transgressive into the centre of the area of distribution than the intermingling of 

 species over wider areas within the centre of distribution. I can offer no sufficient 

 explanation of this fact; the West European species (district A) are essentially 

 endemic, and so are the Syrian species (district E). The two species of Central 

 Asia are naturally isolated, and do not occur in any of the other districts. Of 

 the ten West European and North African species, all are endemic excepting C. 

 vernus, which occurs sparingly in the Pyrenees, but is not at home there as in the 

 Alps Of the six or seven Syrian and Palestine species, all are endemic excepting 

 C cancellatus It is doubtful whether Crocus zonatus really crosses the Cilician 

 boundary, and occurs in Syria; C. vitelline was I believe found by Mrs. Danford 



