THE GENUS CROCUS 



ORDER IRIDE^E. Tribe Sisyrinchiea? 



Of Bentham and Hooker's Genera Plan In rum, vol. iii, p. 693. 



POSITION. 



FERRARIA HOMERIA — HEXAGLOTTIS CROCUS SYRINGODEA- — -GALAXIA — ROMULEA. 



Crocus, Linn. Gen. n. 55. 



Crocus, in part, Sclutr, Serf. PL Transs. 



Crociris, in part, Schur, Serf. PL Trains. 73, and Enum. PL Trains. 653. 



Perianthium infundibuliforme, tubo longo tenui superne in faucem ampliato; lobi requales, erecto-patentes. 

 Stamina fauci affixa, perianthio breviora, filamentis brevibws liberis; antherae erectae, lineares, fila- 

 mento longiores, basi saepius breviter sagittatae, inter lobos basifixae. Ovarium oblongum, 3-locuIare, 

 loculis oo-ovulatis; stylus filiformis, elongatus, ramis lineari-cuneatis apice saspius dentatis lobatis 

 v. multifidis, extremitate sola stigmatosis. Capsula oblonga, membranacea, loculicide 3-valvis. Semina 

 subglobosa, testa carnosula; albumen carnosum v. subcorneum. — Cormi tunicae membranaceae fibrosae 

 v. reticulata;. Folia radicalia, longe linearia, non disticha, basi vaginis scariosis cincta. Caulis 

 intra folia sub folio florali non evolutus. Folium florale {spalha basalt's dictum) dum adsit, in cormo 

 sessile, vagina Ionga, undique hyalino-scariosum, pedunculos radicales seu scapos 1- 00 basi involvens, 

 in speciebus nonnullis deest, in aliis adsunt 2-3. Spatha in pedunculo seu scapo terminalis, mem- 

 branacea, ovarium involvens. Flos in spatha unicus, sessilis; adest etiam saepe intra spatham 

 bractea angusta hyalino-scariosa. — (Benth. & Hook. Gen. Plant.) 



