CROCUS IMPERATI. ,,9 



Scape barely an inch (0.025 metre) in height at the flowering-time, produced to a height of about five 

 inches (0.125 metre) at the maturity of the capsule. 



Capsule about three-quarters of an inch (0.019 metre) in length, pale green, ripening to light buff. 



Seed -iv of an inch (0.0038 metre) long, and T V of an inch (0.0025 metre) wide, buff, ripening to pale 



brown; the chalaza, raphe, and caruncle very prominent, of a paler colour than the body of the 



seed. 



Crocus Impcrati is an abundant species, within a limited district in southern 

 Italy; between 14 and 16 east longitude, and 39 50' and 41 10' north latitude; 

 from near the sea-level, to an altitude of three or four thousand feet; on Monte 

 Polino, in Northern Calabria; Monte Capaccio, between Capaccio near Paestum and 

 Fileto; Balvano, province of Basilicata; Monte Flaito; Monte Pontone; about Amalfi, 

 and Val del Mulino d' Amalfi; Minore; Ravello; hedges between Naples and Salerno. 

 In many places on the promontory of Sorrento, including the mountains of Cas- 

 tellamare; Ouisisana, above Castellamare, outside the walls of the Royal Palace; 

 Monte St. Angelo; Acqua Santa, above Monte St. Angelo; the end of Capo della 

 Campanella; Monte Solaro; Capri, and other islands off the coast; and Frasso, 

 near Monte Taberno, province of Caserta. 



It is one of the earliest of the vernal species, commencing to flower in January 

 in its wild habitats, and in February in English gardens: from its robust habit, 

 and the freedom with which it flowers in the early spring, it is one of the most 

 desirable species for horticultural decoration. It belongs to a group of species, 

 including suaveolens, versicolor, minimus, corsicus, and ctruscus, which do not occur 

 outside the Italian district, B. It is very variable in its colour and markings: 

 Plate XIV, Fig. 1, represents the type form; but it often varies with unstriped 

 flowers, Plate XW6, Fig. 1. The albino, var. albiflos of Herbert, Plate XI W;, Fig. 

 6, is a rare plant; it has been found sparingly intermixed with the type form in the 

 neighbourhood of Castellamare, Acqua Santa, Mulino d' Amalfi, and in the woods 

 of Chiara, near Ravello. The most remarkable departure from the type colouring is 

 in the var. Rcidii, (Plate XI Nb, Figs. 4 and 5,) a single corm of which was obtained 

 by Mr. F. N. Reid by the side of a watercourse, in the Valley of Minore, near 

 Ravello; in this the segments are of a clear rose-colour. C. Impcrati also varies 

 in sometimes having a double, and sometimes a single proper spathe; as well as 

 in the height and degree of sub-division of the stigmata, which are occasionally 

 almost entire, resembling the stigmata of C. suaveolens. It is more closely related 

 to C. suaveolens than to any other species; indeed, except in size, C. suaveolens being 

 much smaller in all its parts, and in the earlier flowering-time of C. Impcrati, there 

 is scarcely a reliable character by which they can be distinguished. 



