244 



THE GENES CROCUS. 



Baker Rev. Sp. Crocus in Card. Chron., new ser., 1873, p. 1533; List Crocus in Journ. R. Hort, 

 Soc. Lond., new ser., vol. iv, 1877; and Syst. Iridac. in Journ. Linn. Soc, Bot., vol. xvi, p. 84. 



Cormus pyriforrais, | poll. (0.016 metr.) latns, j poll. (0.019 metr.) altus. Tunica, membrana tenuis cum 

 fibris narallelis versus basin fissa confecta. Vaginae ovario aequantes, quam spatha brev.ores, scapos 

 2 velplures involentes. Folia 5-7- glabra, 2-3 poll. (0.050-0.075 metr.) longa ad florationem, 

 floribus squantia, -^ poll (0.00.3 metr.) lata, carina angusta, canahcuhs laterahbus sine costis 

 Spatha diphylla, i* poll. (0.032 metr.) longa, fauce vix eequans. Penanth.um: faux .Java haud 

 barbata; segmenta alba, rarius exteriora extus purpurata, ssepius hneis 2-3 tenmbus in basin ornata 

 minima f poll. (0.0.9 metr.) longa, | poll. (0.0042 metr.) lata. Anthers albae, | poll. 0.0.3 metr.) 

 longre, quam filamenta pallide flava bis longiores. Stylus in media antherarum fissus, stigmata 10— 

 12 capillacea aurantiaca antheras superantia. 



Com pyriform, about five-eighths of an inch (0.016 metre) broad, and three-quarters of an inch (0.0.9 

 metre) high. Tunic of thin membrane combined with fine parallel fibres, and splitting up at the 



Sheathing Leaves three or four, from a quarter of an inch to an inch and a half (0.0063—0.038 metre) 



in length, falling short of the proper spathes, and enclosing two or more scapes. 

 Proper Leaves 'from five to seven, two or three inches (0.050-0.075 metre) long and r f chin & f *« 



level of the flowers, one-twentieth of an inch (0.0013 metre) wide, glabrous, the keel about one-third 



the width of the blade, lateral channels without ridges. 

 Proper Spathe diphyllous, about an inch and a quarter (0.032 metre) in length, and reaching close up 



to the throat; the outer spathe tubular, the inner hgulate. 

 Perianth: Tube about an inch (0.025 metre) long from the ovary to the throat yellowish towards the 



throat Throat unbearded? yellow. Segments three-quarters of an inch (0.019 metre) long, and 



one-fifth of an inch (0.0050 metre) broad, white, yellowish towards the base. In the Cretan iorm 



the outer surface of the outer segments are occasionally feathered with purple. 

 Stamens shorter than the pistil, half an inch (0.0.3 metre) high; the white Anthers somewhat longer 



than the yellow Filament. 

 Pistil five-eighths of an inch (0.0.6 metre) high from the throat; the Style dividing at the level of the 



middle of the anthers, and produced into ten or twelve erect, orange, capillary, stigmatic divisions, 



which reach higher than the summit of the anthers. 

 Scape at the flowering-time about an inch (0.025 metre) in height; there are several scapes within each 



set of sheathing leaves. 

 Capsule and Seed unknown. 



Both Herbert and Baker associate this species with C. Boryi, and, excepting 

 in stature, it is difficult to point out any good distinguishing character. It is 

 unquestionably identical with C. cretensis of Kornicke, of which the Berlin Herbarium 

 contains specimens (Herb. Kunth) collected in Crete by Olivier and Brugnier in 

 1822, and another sheet of specimens under the name of veneris, collected in Crete 

 by Fridvaldsky; these have the normal white flowers. I have also seen specimens 



