iRiDE^. (iris family.) 771 



ous testa aucl horny albumen — Stemless herbs, with a corni covered 

 with membranous tunics, and with linear leaves, appearing with or 

 after the flowers, naked at base or having a spathe which encloses one 

 or more scapes each with a spathe at the base of the ovary. 



'^ B(i>^td fipathe arking from cq^ex of corm, endowing scaijes. Tunics of conn 

 with 2icivalleljfihres. 



1. C oclirolcucii§, Boiss. et Gaill. % Cream-colored Crocus. 

 Outer tunics of corm firm, brown, inner membranous, thin. Leaves 

 appearing loitli floicers. Flowers pale cream-colored or lilac; tube of pe- 

 rigonium twice as long as elongated-elliptical divisions, throat yellow, 

 bearded; stigmas slightly dilated, short-3-4-lobed — October to Feb- 

 ruary—Rocky places; Phoenician coast; Lebanon and Antilebanon; 

 Galilee. 



2. €. zoiiatus, J. Gay. % Ringed Crocus. Tunics thin, pale, 

 membranous. IjUdiNQS appearing after Jlowers. Fiov^ evs2Jale lilac; tube 

 of perigonium twice to thrice as long as olovate-ellixMcal, obtuse divi- 

 sions; divisions with 7-9 deeper-colored nerves, provided icith two 

 orange-learded spots at dase, forming a ring at throat of perigonium ; stig- 

 mas club-shaped, very short-lobed, or occasionally dissected — Septem- 

 ber to November — Subalpine and Aljjine Lebanon and Hermon; 

 Aintub. 



* * Basal spathe 0. 



t Timics of corm composed of netted fihres. 



3. C. caiiccUatiis, Herb. Bot. If Fibres of tunic continued 

 along the stem as thick bristles ; areolae rectangular to o^homloidaJ. 

 Leaves appearing after flowers. Flowers with white tube twice as long 

 ns whitish to lilac or pinh limit; divisions .04 long, oblong-elliptical, 

 obtuse, with deeper colored strise ; throat glabrous ; anthers yellow, 

 four times as long as filament ; stigmas longer than anthers, dissected 

 into lobes somewhat dilated at tip — September to December — Sub- 

 alpine to alpine Lebanon and Antilebanon; Damascus; Amanus; Ain- 

 tab. The corm is edible, and sold in the streets of Damascus and 



, other cities. 



4. C. Aiicyren§iS5 G. Maw. 21 Corm ovate-pyriform, fibres 

 thick, broad, joined by a thin membrane; areolre linear. Leaves 

 appearing icith thefioicers. Spathe of two leaves, exsertedfrom sheath. 

 Tube of perigonium twice to thrice as long as yellow limb ; divisions 

 .02 long, oblong-elliptical, obtuse; throat glabrous; anthers puberulent, 

 thrice as long as filament ; stigmas orange-colored, longer than anthers, 

 thiclcened, slightly l.oled — Spring — Akher Dagh. 



t t Tunics of corm comp)Osed of parallel fibres at length separating 

 into strips. 



\ Flowers appearing in winter and spring. 

 § Flowers white, or tinged with lilac. 



5. C. CraillardoUi, Boiss. ct Gaill. et Bl. % Corm oblong- 

 conical. h(}nves filiform, at length circinnate-recurved, appearing with 

 the flowers. Tube of perigonium slender, twice as long as limb; 

 divisions scarcely .02 long, narrow-elliptical, pale-lilac at outer face, 



