HISTORY AND LITERATURE. 37 



Shakespeare makes no mention of Crocus as a flower; though both he and 

 Spenser, and even earlier writers refer to Saffron. 



From William Turner's work on The Names of Herbes, published in 155 1, 

 it is evident that Crocus was then known as a garden plant. He o-rves the 

 designation "In greeke, Crokos; in englishe, Saffron, or Safforn; in duche, Saffran; 

 in Frenche, Safrone;" and remarks "it is hote in the second degree, and drye in 

 the fyrst," referring to its supposed medicinal qualities. 



In The Herbal/, or General! Historie of Plantes gathered by John Gerard, of 

 London, Master in Chirurgerie, anno 1597, are figured and described eleven forms 

 of Crocus: — 



1 . Crocus vernus. 



2. Crocus vernus minor. 



3. Crocus vernus flore luteo. 

 +. Crocus vernus flore albo. 



5. Crocus vernus flore purpureo. 



6. Crocus montanus autumnalis. 



7. Crocus montanus autumnalis flore majore albido cseruleo. 



8. Crocus autumnalis flore albo. 



9. Crocus vernus angustifolius flore violaceo. 



10. Crocus vernus latifolius flore flavo strijs violaceis. 



11. Crocus vernus latifolius striatus flore duplici. 



Of these, Nos. 1, 2, 4, 5, and 9 appear to be forms of C. vermis; No. 3 is 

 without doubt C. aureus; Nos. 6, 7, and 8 are probably C. serotinus; and Nos. 10 

 and 11, judging from the reticulated tunic, are C. susianus. 



In Gerard's Catalogue Arborum 1596-9, six Crocuses are enumerated: 



C. anglicus, probably C. sativus. 



C. montanus, = nudiflorus or serotinus. 



C. vernus flore luteo = C. annus. 



C. vernus flore albo 1 „ 



~ a . , = t . vernus. 



C vernus flore violaceo ) 



C. vernus flore vario = versicolor. 



Five or six species of Crocus were therefore in cultivation in England at the 

 end of the sixteenth century. 



Included in the List of Plants gathered in England and Holland by James 

 Newton, are several varieties of C. vernus, also C. sufhureus, which were cultivated in 

 Holland, as well as in England, during the seventeenth century. 



One of the earliest published references to Crocus was by Clusius, in 1590. 



Regarding the early literature of the genus, I draw largely on Sabine's well- 



