3. CROCUS SCHAROJANI. 



Section: Involucrati; membranacei (Herbert): Holostigma; autumnal (Baker). 



Crocus Scharoja?ii, Ruprecht in Regel's Gartenflora, vol. xvii, pp. 134-5, tab. 578, fig. 2 a, b, & c; Masters 

 in Gard. Chron. 1868, p. 1338; Baker, Rev. Sp. Crocus in Gard. Chron. new series, 1873, p. 1431; 

 List Crocus in Journ. R. Hort. Soc. Lond. new series, vol. iv, 1877; Syst. Iridac. in Journ. Linn. 

 Soc, Bot., xvi, p. 83; Clarke in Gard. Chron. Aug. 16, 1879; G. Maw in Gard. Chron. August g, 

 1879, and vol. xii, p. 235; Synops. Genus Crocus in Gard. Chron. new series, vol. xvi, p. 148; 

 Hist. Crocus in Jour. Linn. Soc, Bot., vol. xix, p. 372; and in The Garden, vol. xxi, No. 532, p. 66; 

 Boiss. Fl Orient, vol. v, p. 97. 



Cormus minimus, vix h poll. (0.013 metr.) latus, globosus, uniflorus; tunica tenuis fibro-membranacea. 

 Vaginae quam spatha breviores. Folia vernalia glabra, £ poll. (0.0032 metr.) lata, ad florationem, 

 permanentia. Spatha monophylla, vaginas duplicans. Perianthium splendide aurantiacum, haud 

 striatum; faux haud barbata. Antherae pallide flavse, stigmata superantes; pollen lacteum. Stylus 

 ad basim antherarum in stigmatibus integris aurantiaco-coccineis fissus. Semina globosa, obscure 

 ochrea. 



Corm small globose, or depresso-globose, about half an inch (0.013 metre) wide, and one-third of an 

 inch (0.0084 metre) high. Tunic of thin delicate fibro-membrane. 



Sheathing Leaves three or four, from half an inch (0.013 metre) to an inch and three-quarters (0.044 

 metre) in length, the longest foliaceous at its extremity. 



Proper Leaves three to a corm, dormant at the autumnal flowering-time, and produced in the spring to 

 a length of ten inches (0.250 metre), and often persistent till the ensuing flowering-time, the two 

 years' sets of leaves existing contemporaneously, one-eighth of an inch (0.0032 metre) broad, gla- 

 brous, the convex keel as broad as the concave blade, separated by open lateral channels, the 

 blade without the usual central white band. 



Basal Spathc an inch (0.025 metre) in length, tubular, membranous. Proper Spathe monophyllous, three 

 inches (0.075 metre) long, much exceeding the sheathing leaves, foliaceous at the extremity, and 

 reaching to within two inches (0.050 metre) of the throat. 



Perianth: Tube about four or five inches (0.100 — 0.125 metre) long from the ovary to the throat. Throat 

 unbearded, orange. Segments lanceolate, one and a half to one and three-quarters of an inch 

 (0.038 — 0.044 metre) long, and from one-third to five-twelfths of an inch (0.0084 — 0.0110 metre) 

 broad, the inner segments rather shorter than the outer, the corm producing a single flower at the 

 end of July or early in August. 



Stamens seven-eighths of an inch (0.022 metre) high, exceeding the pistil. Anthers five-twelfths of an 

 inch (0.011 metre) high, cream-coloured, the pale orange Filament five-twelfths of an inch (0.011 

 metre) high. Pollen Grains -^ of an inch (0.00007 metre) in diameter, papillose, pale cream- 

 coloured. 



Pistil shorter than the stamens, about three-quarters of an inch (0019 metre) high from the throat, 

 the orange style dividing at the level of the base of the anthers, and shortly produced into sub- 

 entire, fringed, orange stigmata. 



