My Garden in Spring 



I have lately raised and received from others forms inter- 

 mediate between the two species, of the build of biflorus 

 v. Weldenii, the Dalmatian form of this widely-spread 

 species biflorus, but instead of a white ground-colouring 

 they are of exquisite shades of pale sulphur, and variously 

 freckled or feathered externally, like some Weldenii forms, 

 with soft lilac, and are very lovely things apart from their 

 interesting intermediate relationship. Their mixed blood 

 is further shown by a tendency to grey on the anther, 

 either as spots on the barbs or on the whole length. This 

 Dalmatian form Weldenii is represented further east in 

 Servia and Bulgaria by a large form known as biflorus v. 

 Alexandri with yet more intense external markings, and 

 when these form a broad band of amethyst purple, leaving 

 only a narrow margin of white, it is one of the most lovely 

 of Spring Crocuses ; the contrast of the pure white inner 

 surface and the rich purple outer segments is a thing to 

 sit down and look at. I have now seedlings that have the 

 ground colour of various shades of lilac and the outer 

 markings as in Alexandri. The first one appeared with- 

 out warning in the rock garden, evidently self sown, and 

 another unbirthday present from the garden, a little thing 

 of its own compose, as the parish clerk called his doggerel 

 version of the Psalm of the hopping hills, for it appeared a 

 year before I had obtained the wild lilac-grounded bi- 

 florus var. Adami a pretty form from the Caucasus 

 but not over-robust in the open ground. 



C. biflorus is best known in its old garden form of the 

 Scotch Crocus, large flowered and white, beautifully striped 

 outside with deep purple, and like other old garden favour- 

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