2 7 6 



THE GENUS CROCUS. 



Cormus \ poll, (o.oig metr.) alius et latus. Tunica membranacea fibris tenuibus parallelis intertextis, sub- 

 reticulatis. Vagina; quam spatha breviores, scapos plures involventes. Folia S— 12, ad florationem 

 f'auce perianthii ferine gequantia, T V poll. (0.0021 metr.) lata, carina concava quam lamina profunde 

 concava parum angustior. Spatha 1— 2 valvulis membranaceis confecta. Perianthium : faux glabra, 

 segmenta aurantiaca, exteriora extus brunneo suffusa, 1 poll. (0.025 metr.) longa, \ poll. (0.0063 

 metr.) lata, quam interiora parum longiora. Antherse aurantiaca;, W poll. (0.01 1 metr.) longa;, 

 oblonga; vix acuminata;, apicibus haud divergentibus. Stylus ad medium antherarum fissus; stigmata 

 aurantiaca Integra, antheris vix squantia. Capsula et semina ignota. 



Conn about three-quarters of an inch (0.019 metre) broad and high. Tunic membranous, with an 

 intermixture of fine parallel fibres tending to reticulation; the Cap produced into a fibro-mem- 

 branous tuft, reaching three-quarters of an inch (0.019 metre) above the summit of the conn. 



Sheathing Leaves about five, from half an inch to three inches (0.013—0.075 metre) long, falling short 

 of the proper spathes. 



Proper Leaves from eight to twelve, reaching to the throat at the flowering-time, and produced to a 

 length of about twelve inches (0.300 metre) at maturity, one-twelfth of an inch (0.0021 metre) 

 broad, glabrous; the keel concave, nearly equalling the width of the blade, which is also deeply 

 concave; the lateral channels containing one prominent ridge. 



Proper Spa/he diphyllous, about an inch and a half (0.038 metre) in length, exceeding the sheathing 

 leaves. 



Perianth: Tube about three inches (0.075 metre) in length from the ovary to the throat. Throat glabrous. 

 Segments from an inch to an inch and a quarter (0.025—0.032 metre) long and one quarter of an 

 inch (0.0063 metre) broad, the three inner segments somewhat shorter than the outer; orange; 

 the three outer segments externally suffused with brown. 



Stamens about five-eighths of an inch (0.016 metre) high; the orange Anthers about three or four times 

 the length of the short orange slightly hairy Filament. Pollen Grains -^ of an inch (0.00007 

 metre) in diameter, channelled with spiral depressions. 



Pistil from half an inch to three-quarters of an inch (0.013— 0.019 metre) high from the throat; the 

 Style dividing at or below the level of the summit of the anthers, and shortly produced into entire 

 orange stigmata, which sometimes exceed the level of summit of the anthers. 



Scape about an inch and a half (0.038 metre) high at the flowering-time; there are several scapes 

 within each set of sheathing leaves. 



Capsule and Seed unknown. 



Crocus Korolkowi was discovered by General Korolkow during the Russian 

 expedition to Chiwam, between Taschkent and Karak-ati, in clayey soil, near the 

 river Kly, in Turkestan, and near Boroldai, in the Kara Tau mountains, in western 

 Turkestan. It has also been gathered by Fedtschenko around Samarkand, at Dargam, 

 near Samarkand, and in the valley of the river Saravschan, in the Aksai mountains. 

 It seems to be generally distributed between 35° and 45° north latitude, and 63 

 and 70 east longitude. I am indebted to Dr. Regel for dried specimens of this 

 Crocus. He sent them to me in April, 1880, under the name of C. aureus, Sibth. 

 and Smith, and at his request I drew up a description of it which was published 



