2 86 THE GENUS CROCUS. 



C. Sibthorpianus var. stauricus, Herbert in But. Reg. 1845, vol. xxxi, Misc., p. 5 (not 184.3, vo1 - xxix > P- 28 ) 



C. pulchricolor, Tchihatcheff, Asie Min., part iii, Bot., vol. ii, p. 523. 



(Not C. Pestalozza, Boiss., which is a var. of C. biflorus; not C. cyprius, Boiss., and Kotschy.) 



Cormus \ poll. (0.013 metr.) latus et altus. Tunica cartilaginea, tenuior quam ullse specierum annu- 

 latarum sequentium; tunica basalis, duo vel tres annuli. Vaginae quam spatha breviores. Folia 

 fauce ad florationem sequantia, angustissima, T \ poll. (0.0016 metr.) lata, glabra matura 10-12 poll. 

 (0.250 — 0.300 metr.) longa, in canaliculus lateralibus costis prominentibus. Spatha diphylla, fauce 

 semi-poll. (0.013 metr.) brevior. Perianthium: faux flava, glabra; segmenta f— 1 poll. (0.019—0.025 

 metr.) longa, i— £ poll. (0.0084—0.0130 metr.) lata, insigniter crerulescens purpurea, exteriora extus 

 atro-purpureo varie ornata, basi purpureo-maculata vel omnino atro-purpureo suffusa. Antherse 

 aurantiacse, quam filamenta flava parce papillosa bis longiores. Stylus versus basin antherarum 

 fissus, stigmata erecta integra, aurantiaco-coccinea, antheris ferme sequantia. Semina atrorufa papil- 

 losa. 



Corm about half an inch (0.013 metre) broad and high. Tunic coriaceous, though thinner than that of 

 the following annulate species. Basal Tunic consisting of two or three narrow annuli; roots, ex- 

 ceptionally numerous. 



Sheathing Leaves about four, from half an inch to three inches (0.013—0.075 metre) in length, falling 

 short of the proper spathe. 



Proper Leaves about three, just appearing and reaching to the throat at the flowering-time, and pro- 

 duced to a length of about a foot (0.300 metre) at the maturity of the capsule, one-sixteenth of 

 an inch (0.0016 metre) broad, glabrous; the convex keel about one-third the width of the blade, 

 the reflected margins of which nearly close in the lateral channels which contain a prominent 

 ridge. 



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

 yellow. Segments from three-quarters of an inch (0.019 metre) to an inch (0.0025 metre) in length, 

 and from one-third to half an inch (0.0084—0.013 metre) broad; bright bluish purple, the outer 

 segments variously feathered with dark purple, blotched at the base with purple, or evenly suffused 

 with purple darker than the general colour of the segments. 



Stamens equalling the pistil, from half an inch to five-eighths of an inch (0.013 — 0.016 metre) high; the 

 yellow Anthers more than twice the length of the yellow, slightly papillose, Filaments. Pollen Grain 

 -gi_ of an inch (0.00005 metre) in diameter, slightly papillose, orange. 



Pistil from half an inch to five-eighths of an inch (0.013— 0.016 metre) in height above the throat; the 

 Style dividing at the level of the middle or base of the anthers, and produced into erect, entire, 

 orange-scarlet stigmata, which reach to about the level of the summit of the anthers. 



Scape an inch and a half (0.038 metre) high at the flowering-time, produced to a height of three inches 

 (0.088 metre) at the maturity of the capsule. 



Capsule purple, half an inch (0.013 metre) high, and one quarter of an inch (0.0063 metre) broad. 



Seed dark red, papillose, one-seventh of an inch (0.0036 metre) high, and one-tenth of an inch (0.0025 

 metre) broad; the chalaza, raphe, and caruncle of the same colour as the body of the seed. 



