CEOCUS 



THE BULB BOOK 



CKOCUS 



long. The flowers appear from 

 September to December, and are 

 4 to 5 ins. long, with a yellow 

 unbearded throat, and vary from 

 white to pale purple, sometimes 

 feathered with purple. (Bot. Mag. 

 sub t. 3864 ; Bot. Reg. 1847, t. 16 ; 

 Maw, Crocus, t. 31.) 



The variety cilicicus has lilac 

 flowers veined with purple. A form 

 of it, called lilacinus, has larger soft 

 lilac-striped blossoms. The variety 

 mazziaricus is white, with a bright 

 golden-orange throat. The corms of 

 C. cancellatus are sold for food in the 

 markets of Damascus. 



C. candldus. This spring-flowering 

 species has globular white flowers, 

 having the outer segments more or 

 less conspicuously veined with purple- 

 lilac (Maw, Crocus, t. 54). The 

 variety luteus has deep yellow flowers 

 veined and mottled with purple 

 outside. 



C. carpetanus. A distinct species 

 from Spain and Portugal, having 

 cylindrical leaves about 8 ins. long. 

 Flowers from February to April, with 

 a white unbearded throat, and seg- 

 ments varying from delicate vinous 

 lilac to white, darker on the margins, 

 the outer surface suffused with bluish 

 veins towards the base. (Maw, Cro- 

 cus, t. 41.) 



C. caspius. A native of the 

 Caspian shores, with beautiful 

 flowers in the autumn, varying from 

 white to rosy-pink and pale rosy- 

 lilac in the variety lilacina. Stigmata 

 not lobed. Rather tender, and is best 

 grown in pots in frames or cool 

 houses. (Gard. Chron. 1903, xxxiv. 

 443, f. 173 ; Maw, Crocus, t. 46.) 



C. chrysanthus. A native of S.E. 

 Europe, with rich orange - yellow 

 flowers from January to March, with 

 yellow or rich scarlet stigmata (Bot. 

 Reg. 1847, t. 4 ; Maw, Crocus, t. 62). 

 There are several forms, including 



albidus, white with a bhie base; 

 Canary Bird, rich canary - yellow, 

 sweetly-scented ; Jusco-lineatus, clear 

 yellow, striped with crimson-brown; 

 ccerulescens, bluish-tinted ; and fusco- 

 tinctus, clear yellow suffused with 

 brown. Seedling forms show great 

 variation in colour, and it is by no 

 means difficult to confuse them with 

 forms of C. biflorus. 



O. Clusi. An autumnal Crocus, 

 native of Spain and Portugal. 

 Flowers from September to Decem- 

 ber, 3 to 4 ins. long, with a white 

 bearded throat, and pale purple 

 unfeathered segments deeper in 

 colour near the base. There is also a 

 white - flowered form. (Bot. Reg. 

 1845, t. 47 ; Maw, Crocus, t. 10.) 



C. corsicus (C. insularis). A rare 

 Corsican species. Flowers in April, 

 2 to 3 ins. long, with a white or lilac 

 unbearded throat, and pale purple 

 segments, feathered and striped with 

 purple outside and tinged with buff. 

 Stigmata bright scarlet. (Maw, Cro- 

 cus, t. 21 ; Bot. Reg. xxix. t. 21.) 



C. Crewel. A distinct species from 

 Asia Minor, closely related to C. 

 biflorus, and distinguished by its 

 almost black anthers and rich orange 

 centre. The flowers appear in Feb- 

 ruary, and are whitish, tinged outside 

 with buff and lined with purple. 

 (Gard. Chron. 1893, xliii. 278 ; Maw, 

 Crocus, t. 60.) 



O. cyprius, from the Cyprian 

 Olympus (alt. 5000 ft.), produces its 

 bright lilac flowers with a rich purple 

 blotch at base, early in April (Maw, 

 Crocus, t. 57.) 



C. dalmaticus. A Dalmatian 

 Crocus, with pear-shaped corms and 

 leaves 8 to 9 ins. long. Flowers in 

 February and March (and often in 

 the month of January), with a yellow 

 unbearded throat and lilac segments, 

 the outer ones shaded fawn, with a 

 few purple veins at the base, or 



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