CRIOCERIS 



252 



CROCUS 



C. uniflo'rum (one-flowered). i. White. Australia. 



1879. 



urceola'tum (urn-shaped). See URCEOLINA PENDULA. 

 ., vanillodo'rum (Vanilla-scented). See C. GIGANTEUM. 

 Va'ssei (Vasse's). White, with red median stripe. 



Mozambique. 1907. 

 venu'stum (graceful), i. White, red. July. E. Ind. 



1821. 



., vtrecu'ndum (ruddy). See C. AMOENUM. 

 verschaffeltia'num (Verschaffeltian). Leaves striped 



with white. 1877. 



., waUichia'num (Wallichian). See C. ZEVLANICUM. 

 Wimbu'shi (Wimbush's). White. Central Africa. 



Woodro'wi (Woodrow's). 2. White. Bombay. 

 1897. 



yeme'nse (Yemen). See C. LATIFOLIUM. 



yuccecflo'rum (Yucca-flowered). 2. Red, white. 

 June. Trop. Africa. 1740. 



yuccafo'lium (Yucca-leaved). ii. White. Abys- 

 sinia. 1892. 



yuccaoi'des (Yucca-like). See C. YUCC^FLORUM. 



teyla'nicum (Ceylon). 3. Purple. July. Ceylon. 



*redu'ctum (reduced). White and red stripe. 

 Zanzibar. 1883. 



CRIO'CERK ASPA'RAGL The Asparagus Beetle 

 sometimes proves very destructive by eating the shoots 

 and twiglets of Asparagus during its growth, from June 

 to September. There are several broods during this 

 time, each of which lays eggs on the slender shoots, 

 when the beetle attains the winged stage. The eggs 

 are spindle-shaped, dark in colour, and should be de- 

 stroyed when seen. The grubs are olive or slate- 

 coloured, fleshy and curved at the tail, by which they 

 hold on to the plant. They are full fed in fourteen days, 

 when they pass into the ground, pupate, and in the course 

 of another two or three weeks reach the perfect state, 

 ready to repeat their life-cycle and destructiveness. 

 The beetles are about i in. in length, and blue- black or 

 greenish. The shoulders are red, with two black spots. 

 The wing-cases are yellowish, with a line of this colour 

 where they meet on the back ; they also have a blue- 

 black band across the middle, and similar patches at 

 the base and apex. Several remedies have been de- 

 vised for holding the beetle in check. The grubs are 

 the most destructive. White sheets may be laid 

 amongst the plants, and the latter well shaken, to make 

 the grubs fall. Another plan is to get some water about 

 as warm as the hands can bear and syringe the Asparagus 

 with it. The grubs will quickly fall, but if any still 

 hold on, a smart tap on the stem's will bring them down, 

 when the cloths may be quickly lifted, carried aw.iv 

 from the Asparagus ground and the grubs destroyed. 

 Some growers allow the grubs to fall on the Asparagus 

 beds, in the above process, and then dust them with 

 dry soot. The beds should be examined again in ten 

 days or a fortnight, and the process repeated if need be. 

 The stems should be burnt in autumn, when cut down, 

 in order to destroy eggs that may be upon them. 



CRISTA RIA COCCI'NEA. See MALVASTRUM cocci- 



NEUM. 



CRI'THMUM. Samphire. (From krithe, barley ; re- 

 semblance of the seeds to barley. Nat. ord. Umbeilifcrs 

 [Umbelliferae]. Linn. s-Pentandria, 2-Digynia. Allied 

 to Seseli.) 



Samphire (C. mari'timum) is excellent in pickles. 

 C. latifo'lium (broad-leaved). i$. Yellow. July. 

 Canaries. 1780. Greenhouse evergreen. The cor- 

 rect name is Astydatnia canarifnsis. 

 ,, mari'timum (sea), i. White. August. Britain. 

 Hardy herbaceous. 



Culture. Cri'thmum mari'timum, though a native of 

 the seashore, may be cultivated successfully in the 

 garden. 



Soil. It requires a sandy, rich soil and the north 

 side of a wall. 



Propagation. The roots may be planted, or the seed 

 sown, in April ; the only cultivation required being to 

 keep the plants free from weeds, and to water them about 

 twice a week with water containing half an ounce of 

 guano, and one ounce of salt per gallon. 



CROCKING is putting a piece of potsherd over the 

 hole at the bottom of a flower-pot, previously to adding 

 the drainage, &c. 



CROC OSMA. (From krokos, saffron, and osme, smell ; 

 in allusion to the strong odour of saffron when dried 

 flowers are placed in warm water. Nat. ord. Iridaceae.) 

 Nearly hardy bulbous perennial, often grown in pots 

 in a greenhouse, but it may be planted out in March 

 and the corms lifted in November in cold, northern 

 districts, or in clay soils. Seeds and offsets. Light, 

 rich soil. 

 C. au'rea (golden). ij to 2. Bright fulvous yellow. S. 



Africa. 1846. 

 ,, irnperia'lis (imperial). V Fi<-ry orange-red. 



S. Africa. 1888. 



, macula (a (spotted). A dark blotch on the three 

 inner segments. S. Africa. 1888. 



CRO'CUS. (A name adapted from Theophrastus. Nat. 

 ord. Irids [Iridaceae]. Linn. $-Triandria, i-Mono- 

 gynia.) 



Hardy bulbs. The saffron of the shops is the dried 

 stigmas of C. sati'vus. The Sicilian saffron is from those 

 of C. longiflorus. 

 C. ai'rius (air-like). Pale lilac, throat yellow. Asia 



Minor. 



,, ,, major (larger). Very fine form. 1908. 

 ,, alata'vicus (AlaTau). White, yellow, purple. Spring. 



Ala Tau Mts. 1877. 

 ,, ,, ochroleu'cus (yellow-white). Yellow, and white 



edges. 1878. 

 .. ,i Porphy'reus (purple). Bright claret-purple, white. 



1878. 

 ,. ancyre'nsis (Ancyran). Orange, purple. Spring. 



Asia Minor. 



tinnula'tus (ringed). See C. BIKLORUS. 

 ,, astu'ricus (Asturian). Purple. Autumn. Asturia. 



1842. 

 au'reus (golden). Orange-yellow. February and 



March. Greece, Asia Minor. 

 a'lbus (white). 



,, fia'vus (yellow). Pale yellow. Greece. 

 ,, has'micus (Hacmus). Light yellow. Mt. Haemus. 

 ,, la'cteus (milky). Cream. Greece. 1629. 

 ,, ,. la'cteus penicilla' tus (pencilled-milky). Pale 



cream with purple lines. 

 ,, lute'scens (yellowish). Pale yellow. 

 ,, sulphu'reus (sulphur). Pale yellow. S. Europe. 



1629. 



,, ,, sulphu'reus pa'llidus (pale sulphur). 

 ,, syri'acus (Syrian). Yellow. Syria. 

 ,, irilinea'tus (three- lined). Yellow, with purple 



lines. 

 Bala'nsce (Mrs. Balansa's). Orange, feathered 



bronze. February. W. Asia Minor. 

 ,, bana'ticus (Banatan). Dark purple. February. 



March. Transylvania. 

 btflo'rus (two-flowered). White to lilac, with 3 purple 



lines on the back. March. Tuscany. 1629. 

 ,, ,, Ada'mii (Adam's). Pale purple. Caucasus. 

 a'lbus (white). White. March. Opschina. 

 ,, ,, Alexa'ndri (Alexander's). White, striped purple 



on back of outer segments. Bulgaria. 1900. 

 ,, ,, arge'nteus (silvery). Smaller, more purple than 



the type, striped purple. Italy. 



,, ,, ctfrule' scens (bluish). Bluish. February. Naples. 

 ,, estria'tus (not striped). Lilac. February. 



Florence. 



rafcus (Greek or Grecian). February. Greece. 

 \tli'nii (Leichtlin's). White or pale purple. 



fragrant. Asia Minor. 1891. 

 ,, ,, nubi' genus (cloud-begotten). White. March. 



Mount Gargarius. 1845. 



,, Pestalo'zsce (Pestalozza's). White. Constanti- 

 nople. 

 ,, ,, purpura' scens (purplish). Purple. March. Dal- 



inatia. 



,. ,, pusi'llus (dwarf). White. February. Pisa. 

 ,, ,, tan'ricus (Taurian). Bluish. February. Odessa. 

 ,, Welde'ni (Welden's). White, purple. Dalmatia. 

 ,, Billio'tlii (Billiotfs). Rich purple, with darker 



blotch in throat. Asia Minor. 1892. 

 Boissie'ri (Boissier's). Pure white. Mts. of Cilicia. 



grce'cu 

 Leicht 



