,84 THE GENUS CROCUS. 



in Santa Maura, where, in October 1877, I found it abundantly, and also in other 

 parts of the Island. Herbert gathered it on Mount Ruthi and in the short turf 

 near the Governor's villa in the forest of Cephalonian Firs, on Mount CEnos (now 

 called Megaoros) in Cephalonia, and states that it has not been found in Corfu 

 and Zante. 



In the Greek plant, which I take as the type, the flowers are generally pale 

 lilac, more or less veined with purple. It occurs on hills near Nauplia, at the base 

 of Mount Delphi in Negropont, and on Mount Hymettus, near Athens, where I 

 gathered it abundantly in the spring of 1877. The varieties from Asia Minor which 

 I group under the name of ciliacus, are for the most part clear blue, though Herbert 

 refers to some varieties of a pale bluish tint, also to some almost white from the Taurus 

 north of Tarsus. All the herbarium specimens I have seen from that district are 

 distinctly blue. The blue form cilicicus has been recorded from the following localities 

 in the Cilician Taurus: upper parts of the mountains overlooking the defile of the 

 Kulek Boghas or Pylse Cilicke; on a small elevated flat on the summit of the Bulgar 

 Dagh at an altitude of seven thousand five hundred feet, one mile north of the 

 lead mines and twelve miles from the Pylae Ciliciae; abundant on southern declivities 

 towards Dasch Olug, Tschidem, Goli and Bulgar; Magara Aquiloni, at an altitude 

 of eight thousand feet, flowering from the end of August and throughout September; 

 above Bulgar Maden, and near Gullek Magara, at altitudes of from seven thousand 

 to eight thousand feet. 



Some corms collected for me near Aleppo by Mr. Henderson, H.M. Consul, 

 appear to be those of this plant. In the Lebanon, and the neighbourhood of 

 Damascus, it is so abundant that the corms are collected for food. Sir J. D. Hooker 

 collected it on the Lebanon on September 28th, at an altitude of six thousand feet. 

 Gaillardot, in November and December, at Maraka, Anti-Libanus, and on hills 

 between Sahara and Dimas; and Blanche between Beyrout and Damascus; also 

 between Yammunch and Dimani; and above Edon. It also occurs at Jedeideh Anti- 

 Libanus, at an altitude of four thousand five hundred feet. Mr. T. S. Jago, H.M. 

 Vice-Consul at Damascus, found it close to the Cedars at a height of about six 

 thousand feet. 



There is no record of its having been found in the little known district of 

 Kurdistan; but its recent discovery in north-west Persia suggests the probability of 

 its also occurring there between Syria and Persia. Monsieur Pissard, gardener-in- 

 chief to the Shah of Persia, collected it at an altitude of thirteen hundred metres 

 in the plains and hills of Sultabatt (Sultanabad), in the province of Irath-Ferahan 

 (Feraghan), south-east of Amadan (Hamadan), about one hundred and twenty kil- 

 ometres from Teheran. Monsieur Chappellier, of Paris, to whom I am indebted 

 for two corms of the Crocus, has favoured me with a copy of a short printed notice 



