I+2 THE GENUS CROCUS. 



Stamens three-quarters of an inch (0.019 metre) high; A nthers orange, half an inch (0013 metre) long 



and twice the length of the glabrous orange Filament. Pollen Grains ^ of an inch (0.00007 metre) 



in diameter, papillose, orange. 

 Pistil about an inch (0.025 metre) high, exceeding the anthers; the Style dividing at the level of the 



summit of the anthers and produced into entire spreading orange stigmata. 

 Scape barely an inch (0.025 metre) in height at the flowering-time and produced to a height of two 



or three inches (0.050—0.075 metre) at the maturity of the capsule. 

 Capsule barely an inch (0.025 metre) in length and three-eighths of an inch (0.010 metre) broad. 

 Seed nearly spherical, 2 -& of an inch (0.0038 metre) in height, papillose, of a dull buff colour; the chalaza, 



raphe, and caruncle but slightly prominent and of the same colour as the body of the seed. 



Crocus etruscus is a native of the Tuscan Maremma, near the west coast of 

 Italy, latitude 43 5' north, longitude 1 1° o' east. It was discovered by Professor 

 Parlatore on the 9th. of April, 1858 in oak woods by the side of the road in 

 ascending the Salita del Filetto, six miles to the south-east of Massa Marittima, 

 on the road to Pomarancie. For many years it was known only by the two or 

 three specimens preserved in the general herbarium at Florence. 



On March the 12th., 1876, in company with Signor S. Sommier of Florence, 

 I had the pleasure of re-discovering the species, both in flower and fruit, in the 

 habitat where it was first gathered by Professor Parlatore. We also observed it in 

 a field by the roadside near a farm-house known as Poggio ai Venti, a mile and 

 a half nearer Massa Marittima, and the country people told us that it occurs else- 

 where in the Maremma. 



C. etruscus is one of the group of vernal Italian Crocuses to which C. Imperati 

 belongs; but its strong, wiry, reticulated corm tunic readily distinguishes it from 

 any other allied species. It is a robust plant of easy cultivation, flowering freely 

 in the open border in March; it also seeds abundantly, and a large number of 

 seedlings raised at Benthall retain all the distinctive characters of the wild plant. 



REFERENCES TO PLATE XXII. 



Fig. 1. Flowering-state, March 20th, actual size; a, b, c, outer surface of outer segments; d, inner surface 



of segments, actual size. 

 Fig. 2. With matured leaves and capsule, May 23rd, actual size. 

 Fig. 3. Stigmata, magnified six-fold. 

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

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

 Fig. 6. Diagrammatic dissection of scape, ovary, and spathes, actual size. 

 Fig. 7. Seed, magnified six-fold. 

 Fig. 8. Section of leaf, magnified six-fold. 

 Fig. 9. Ripe capsule, June 21st, actual size. 

 Fig. 10. Corm tunics, magnified two-fold; e, basal tunic;/, and g, main tunic. 



