100 



THE GENUS CROCUS. 



the level of the summit of the anthers, and produced into erect, somewhat branching, orange 

 stigmata. 

 Scape about three-quarters of an inch (0.019 metre) high at the flowering-time. 



Capsule and Seed unknown. 



Crocus serotinus is reputed to be a south Spanish species, and is nearly allied 

 to C. Salzmanni. I am only acquainted with the garden plant, which has certainly 

 been grown during the whole of the present century, possibly in earlier times, as 

 it is said to have been in cultivation for more than two centuries. I have been 

 unable to identify any one of the reputed wild habitats as the source of the 

 plant cultivated under the name of serotinus. The species recorded by Herbert as 

 growing in pine forests, near Cadiz, I have had in cultivation for several years, and 

 it is without doubt C. Clusii of Gay; which species from Portugal is often found 

 in herbaria under the name of serotinus. The species from the Sierra Nevada is 

 nearly allied to C. nudiflorus, the leaves remaining dormant till the spring. The 

 north Spanish plant, and that from central Spain, which occur in herbaria under 

 the names of serotinus and nudiflorus, are C. a st uric us. 



The other records of habitats that may refer to C. serotinus of gardens, are 

 the Sierra Morena and the neighbourhood of Jerez (Willkomm and Lange), the 

 Sierra d'Alfacar, the Sierra de San Cristoval, and the Sierra de La Nieve, in the 

 province of Granada: but looking at the confusion that exists in herbaria and in 

 the published descriptions of the Spanish and Portuguese autumnal Croci, it is 

 impossible to confidently rely on any single record of a wild habitat of C. serotinus. 



Crocus serotinus of gardens flowers in November and December— much later 

 than any other autumnal Spanish species— the leaves are well developed before the 

 flowers appear, and reach to the throat at the flowering-time. This character 

 readily distinguishes it from C. asturicus, of northern and central Spain, and its 

 corm tunic of parallel fibres distinguishes it from C. Clusii, which has a reticulated 

 tunic; the outer surface of the outer segments is regularly feathered with purple 

 markings, which in the other Spanish and Portuguese autumnal species are either 

 absent, ill-defined, or variable. 



REFERENCES TO PLATE VIII. 



Fig. 1. Flowering-state, October 29th, actual size. 



Fig. 2. With matured leaves, April 14th, actual size. 



Fig. 3. Diagrammatic dissection of scape, ovary, and spathes, actual size. 



Fig. 4. Stamens and Pistil, magnified two-fold. 



Fig. 5. Pollen Grain, magnified one hundred and fifty-fold. 



Fig. 6. Stigmata, magnified six-fold. 



Fig. T. Section of leaf, magnified six-fold. 



Fig. 8. Corm tunics, magnified two-fold: a. cap; b, main tunic. 



