3 oo THE GENUS CROCUS. 



Cormus ferme i poll. (0.025 metr.) latus ct altus. Tunica membranacea coriacea basi fissa, superne 

 cuspidibus acutis \ poll. (0.0063 metr.) altis munita. Tunica basalis, annuli crassi membranacei, 



2 3 marginibus externis cuspidibus duodecim munitis. Vaginae quam spatha breviores, scapos 



duos vel tres involventes. Folia glabra, 7—8, 8 poll. (0.200 metr.) longa, flores ad florationem 

 superantes, -^ poll. (0.0016 metr.) lata. Spatha diphylla, fauce ferme asquans. Penanthium: 

 faux glabra, flava; segmenta pallide purpurea estriata, i| poll (0.032 metr.) longa, \ poll. (0.0084 

 metr.) lata. Anthers flava, \ poll. (0.013 metr.) longse, filamenta bis superantes, quam stigmata 

 multo longiores. Stylus infra basin antherarum fissus, stigmata brevia flava integra apice expansa, 

 medio antherarum vix sequantia. Capsula et semina ignota. 



Corm about an inch (0.025 metre) high, and three-quarters of an inch (0.019 metre) broad. Tunic 



membranous; the Basal Tunic consisting of two or three annuli. 

 Sheathing Leaves about four, from one inch to three and a half inches (0.025—0.088 metre) in length, 



falling short of the proper spathes, and including from two to four scapes. 

 Proper Leaves from seven to eight, reaching above the flowers at the flowering-time, one-sixteenth of an 



inch (0.0016 metre) broad, glabrous. 

 Proper Spathe diphyllous, about two and a half inches (0.063 metre) in length, reaching nearly to the 



throat; the inner spathe ligulate, the outer tubular. 

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

 bearded, yellow. Segments about an inch and a quarter (0.032 metre) long, and one-third of an 



inch (0.0084 metre) broad, pale, unstriped purple. 

 Stamens much exceeding the pistil, about three-quarters of an inch (0.019 metre) high; the orange 



Anthers about twice the length of the orange Filament. 

 Pistil three-eighths of an inch (0.010 metre) high from the throat: the Style dividing at the level of 



the base of the anthers, and shortly produced into spreading, entire, pale yellow stigmata. 

 Scape at the flowering-time about an inch and three-quarters (0.044 metre) high. 

 Capsule and Seed unknown. 



Crocus tauri was discovered and collected by Aucher-Eloy, near the Cilician 

 Gates of the Taurus, and his specimens, Nos. 2128 and 2654, are to be found in 

 European Herbaria. I am indebted to Monsieur De Candolle for the loan of the 

 specimen forming the subject of Plate LXI. There is also a specimen in the Kew 

 Herbarium which I do not doubt is identical with Aucher-Eloy's plant. It was 

 collected by Mr. Elwes, on April gth, 1874, at an altitude of from five thousand 

 to six thousand feet, near the Saw Mills in the open parts of the Cedar Forest of 

 OEnoni, on the north side of the Pass on the road from Kassaba to Arsa, across 

 the Ak Dagh, Lycia. It ranges in longitude from 29^° to 34^° east, and in north 

 latitude, from 36^° to 37!°. 



Crocus tauri is vernal. It is more nearly allied to C. biflorus than to any other 

 species, but is readily distinguished by its exceptionally short, pale yellow pistil, 

 its self-coloured flowers, and its thinner corm tunic which approaches more nearly 



