402 



CROCUS 



Dating time. They usually form flowers the third season. 

 The Crocus, as is well known, is amenable to modern, 

 forcing. It is also useful for naturalizing in the lawn, 

 although the grass will run out the plants in a few years, 

 if the bulbs are not replaced by strong ones. 



J. N. Gerard. 



Crocuses are scarcely known in the Amer. trade under 

 their species names. They have been much hybridized 

 and varied. The common Crocuses of the trade have 

 descended from C vernus chiefly, but C, Susianus, C 

 Mmsiacns, C. stellariSf C. biflorus and C. SdHvus are 

 frequent. The Dutch bulb-growers cultivate many 

 species, and these are offered for sale in their American 

 lists; the species are therefore included in the following 

 synopsis. 



Index: Ancyrensis, 4; asturicus, 20; awre^fs, 2; Ban 

 aticus, 8; biflorus, 6; Boryi, 24; Byzantinus, 29; chrysan 

 thus, 5, 15 ; etruscus, 13; Hadriaticus, 18; Imperati, 14 

 iridiflous, 29; lacteus, 2; longiflorus, 20; medius, 25 

 Moesiacus, 2; nudiflorus, 2,S; Olivieri, 15; Ori>Iinnidis 

 24: pulehellus, 28; reticulatus, 12; Salzraanni, 22; sati 

 vus, 17; serotinus, 21 ; Sieberi, 11; speciosus, 27; stel 

 laris, 3; Susianus, 1; Suterianus, 15; S!irinci(s,9: Tom 

 masinianus, 10; Tourneforti, 24 ; vernus, 9 ; versicolor, 

 7; vitellinus, 16; zonatus, 19. 



A. Blooming in spring. 

 B. Style-branches entire or merely toothed. 

 c. Fls. yelloiv, at least inside. 

 1 Susi&nus, Eer. Cloth of Gold Crocus. CormJiin. 

 in diam.: Ivs. 6-8 in a tuft, reaching to the fl., narrow- 

 linear, with revolute edges and a central band of white: 

 perianth segments 1}4 in. or less long, orange-yellow, 

 becoming reflexed, the outer ones brownish or striped 

 on the outside ; anthers orange, longer than the fila- 

 ments ; style-branches long and spreading. Crimea. 

 B.M. 652. — Blooms very early. 



2. Moesiacus, Ker {C. BHrc«s, Sibth. & Sm.). Dutch 

 Crocus. Later, conn larger: Ivs. 6-8 in a tuft, overtop- 

 ping the fl., narrow-linear, with reflexed edges and white 

 central band : segments very obtuse, bright yellow, 

 IJ^in. long, H to ^3 the length of the tube : anthers 

 pale yellow, hastate at the base, somewhat longer than 

 the filaments ; style-branches overtopped by the an- 

 thers. Transylvania to Asia Minor. B.M. 2986. — Va- 

 riable. A sulfur-yellow form is C. sulph I'creus , Ker. 

 B.M. l.'!84. There is a striped form. B M. 938. A crearn- 

 white form is C. lacteus, Smith. 



3. stell&ris, Haw. Supposed to be a hybrid of the 

 above, and known only in cult. Blooms with No. 2. 

 Lvs. only 4-6, narrow-linear, reflexed edges, white- 

 banded : perianth-tube short, the segments 1-lKin. 

 long, bright orange, the outer ones striped and feath- 

 ered with brown on the back ; anthers pale orange, a 

 little longer than the filaments ; style-branches some- 

 what overtopping the anthers. 



4. Ancyifinsis, Maw. Corm 54 In. in diam. : lvs. 3-4, as 

 tall as the fl., very narrow : perianth-tube exserted ; 

 segments bright orange-yellow, 1 in. or less long, not 

 striped, nor colored outside ; anthers orange-yellow, 

 much longer than the filaments ; style-branches red- 

 orange. AsiaMinor. — Blooms early. 



5. chrysAnthns, Herb, (not B.R. 33:4. Fig. 1, which= 

 C. Olivieri, var. Suterianus). Corm small: lvs. as 

 high as the fl., very narrow: perianth-tube 2-3 times as 

 long as the segments, the latter IH in. or less long, and 

 plain orange-yellow (varying tinted or striped on the 

 outside, or even nearly white); throat glabrous; an- 

 thers orange, twice as long as the roughened filaments; 

 style-branches red-orange. Macedonia and Asia Minor. 



CO. Fls. lilac or white. 



6. bifldrus, Mill. Scotch Crocus. Corm Vi in. or less 

 in diam.: lvs. 4-6, overtopping the fls., very narrow, 

 with deflexed edges and a white central band : perianth- 

 tube exserted, the segments IM in. long, purple tinged, 

 the outer ones 3-striped down the back, the throat 

 bearded and yellowish ; anthers orange, exceeding the 

 filaments ; style-branches orange-red. S. and south- 

 western Eu. B.M. 845. — Runs into many forms, some 

 of them almost white 



CROCUS 



7. versicolor, Ker. Corm % in. or less in diam. ; Ivs. 

 4-5, as high as the fis., otherwise like the last; perianth- 

 tube exserted: segments \% in. long, pale or dark pur- 

 ple, often striped and feathered with dark purple; 

 throats glabrous, whitish or yellowish; anthers yellow, 

 twice as long as the filament; style-branches, orange- 

 vellow, equalling or overtopping the anthers. S. 

 France. B.M. 1110. 



8. Baniticus, Heuff. Corm globular, K in. in diam. : 

 lvs. usually 2, thin and flattish, and becoming Y^ in. 

 broad, glaucous beneath: perianth-tube scarcely ex- 

 serted; segments IK in. or less long, bright purple, and 

 never striped, but often dark-blotched towards the 

 tip; throat glabrous; anthers orange, a little longer than 

 the white filaments; style-branches short-, orange-yel- 

 low, somewhat fringed at the tip. Hungary. 



9. v^mus. All. Fig. 583. Conn 1 in. or less in 

 diam.: lvs. 2-4, as high as the fl., often 34 in. broad, 

 glaucous beneath, but green above, with reflexed edges, 

 and a central white band; perianth segments 1-1 H in. 



583. Crocus veraus (X K). 



long, lilac, white or purple-striped; throat pubescent, 

 never yellow; anthers lemon- yellow, exceeding the fila- 

 ments; style-branches orange-yellow. S. Eu. B.M. 

 860, 2240. R.H. 1869, p. 331. Gu. 54, p. 79. The com- 

 monest garden Crocus. 



10. Tommasiniinus, Herb. Corm globular, K in. in 

 diam.: lvs. ap])i'ariiig with the fls., narrow (Ya in. 

 broad): pi riiiiitli-tiibc little exserted; segments 1)4 in. 

 or less lung, pale red-bluish, sometimes dark blotched 

 at the tip ; throat glabrous ; anthers pale orange, a 

 little longer than the white glandular filaments ; style- 

 branches short, orange-yellow. Dalmatia and Servia. — 

 Distinguished from C. vernus by its glabrous throat. 



U. Sidberi, Gay. Corm globular, % in. diam.; lvs. 4- 

 6, as high as the fl., glaucous beneath, K in. broad: per- 

 ianth-tube short-exserted ; segments 1-1 }4 in. long, 

 color of O. x'ernus; throat yellow and glabrous; anthers 

 orange, twice as long as filaments; style-branches 

 nearly entire, orange-red. Greece, Crete. 



12. reticulitus.Bieb. Corm %in. in diam. .covered with 

 honey-combed fibers: lvs. 3-5, as high as the fl., very 

 narrow, with reflexed edge and a white band : perianth- 

 tube much exserted; segments 1-1}^ in. long, white to 

 purple, the three outer ones striped; throat glabrous; 

 anthers orange, twice the length of the orange filaments ; 

 style-branches scarlet, overtopping the anthers. S. E. 

 Eu. — Varies to white. 



13. Etruscus, Pari. Corm 1 in. or less in diam. : lvs. 

 about 3, very narrow, as tall as the fl. : perianth-tube 

 shore exserted: segments 1-% in. long, lilac, or the ouiar 



