CROCUS 



CROCUS 



897 



ground or corm), with solid bulbs or corms: fls. showy, 

 in many colors, funnel-shaped and erect, with a 'very 

 long tube and 6 nearly or quite equal segms.; stamens 

 3, attached in the throat of the perianth and shorter 

 than the segms.; style 3-cleft, the branches entire or 

 forked or much fimbriated; ovary 3-loculed: seeds 

 many, nearly globular: fr. an oblong 3-valved caps. 

 Probably 75 species, many of them variable, in the 

 Medit. region and extending into S. W. Asia. The 

 fls. open in sunshine. They come in fall or spring, but 

 the best-known species are spring-flowering, which are 

 amongst the earliest and brightest of spring bloom. 

 Crocuses force easily (see Bulb). A half-dozen corms 

 may be planted in a 4-in. pot for this purpose. Cro- 

 cuses are scarcely known in the American trade 

 under their species names. Inasmuch as the flowers 

 of the common crocus close when taken out of the 

 sun, they are not popular as window-garden or house 

 subjects. Crocuses have been much hybridized and 

 varied. There are many color-forms. The common 

 crocuses of the trade have descended from C. vernus 

 chiefly, but C. susianus, C. mcesiacus, C. stellaris, C. 

 biflorus and C. sativus are frequent. The Dutch bulb- 

 growers cult, many species, and these are offered for sale 

 in their American lists; the species are therefore included 

 in the following synopsis. In this account, the treatment 

 by Baker is followed (Handbook of the Iridese). 



Botanically, the genus divides itself into three groups 

 on the characters of the style-branches: the branches 

 entire, once-forked or fimbriated at the apex, or cut 

 into several capillary divisions. Horticulturally, the 

 species fall into two groups, the spring-flowering and 

 the autumn-flowering. These groups are not so definitely 

 separated as it would seem, however. Some of the 

 species bloom in winter in regions in which the ground 

 does not freeze hard; others begin to bloom in July or 

 August; some may continue to bloom till winter closes 

 in. Yet these two flowering periods mark very impor- 

 tant differences in the utilization of the plants and the 

 primary division in the following treatment is made on 

 this basis. The colors are now much varied by cultiva- 

 tion and hybridizing, but they are well marked in the 

 specific types as a rule. They run largely in yellow, 

 white and purple. 



The covering or tunic of the bulbs may be uniformly 

 membranaceous, or it may be composed of strongly 

 reticulated or parallel fibers. Fig. 1113. The flowers 

 appear usually just in advance of the grass-like foliage- 

 leaves. The floral leaves are small and more or less dry 

 or scarious and arise directly from the corm and may be 

 seen as a spathe-like structure inside the leaf -tuft; this 

 is usually known as the basal spathe. The real spathe 

 subtends the bloom, and it is always one-flowered; this 

 floral spathe may be one-leaved or two-leaved. 



Culture. Many forms of crocus are well known, 

 where they are justly valued as among the showiest 

 and brightest of winter and spring flowers. They thrive 

 in any ordinary soil. About two-thirds of the species 

 are classed as vernal and the remainder as autumnal 

 flowering; but the various members of the tribe would 

 furnish nearly continuous bloom from August to May 

 were the season open. While there are numerous spe- 

 cies interesting to a botanist or a collector, practically 

 the best for general cultivation are Crocus Imperati, C. 

 susianus (Cloth of Gold crocus) and the Dutch hybrids, 

 mostly of C. moesiacus. These bloom in about the 

 order named. The rosy flowers of C. Imperati may be 

 expected with the earliest snowdrops. The named spe- 

 cies, having shorter flower-tubes than the Dutch 

 hybrids, are not so liable to injury by the severe 

 weather of the early year. The autumnal species are 

 not satisfactory garden plants, the flowers mostly 

 appearing before the leaves, and being easily injured. 

 C. spedosus and C. sativus are probably the most 

 satisfactory. The latter species has been cultivated 

 from time immemorial, the stamens having a medi- 



cinal reputation, and being a source of color (saffron). 

 The cultivation of this species is a small industry in 

 France, Spain and Italy. The corms of crocuses 

 should be planted about 3 or 4 inches deep, in a 

 well-worked and perfectly drained soil which is free 

 from clay or the decaying humus of manure. They 

 should be set only 2 or 3 inches apart if mass effects 

 are desired. They may be planted in September or 

 October for bloom in the spring or the following autumn; 

 or the autumn kinds may be planted early in spring. 

 The corms should be carefully examined and all 

 bruised and imperfect ones rejected, as they are very 

 susceptible to attacks of fungi, which, gaining a footing 

 on decrepit corms, will spread to others. The careful 

 gardener will examine all exotic small bulbs annually, 

 or at least biennally, until they show by the perfection 

 of their new bulbs that they have become naturalized, 

 or are suited to their new environment. In this case 

 they may be allowed to remain until crowding requires 

 their division. This examination should take place 

 after the leaves are matured and dried up. Inasmuch as 

 new corms form on top of the old ones, the plants tend 

 to get out of the ground; it is well therefore to replant 

 the strongest ones every two or three years. Increase 

 may be had from 

 new corms which 

 are produced more 

 or less freely in 

 different species 

 on top or on the 

 sides of old corms. 

 Seeds are often 

 produced freely, 

 but are likely to 

 be overlooked, as 

 they are formed 

 at the surface of 

 the soil. These 

 germinate readily 

 and most freely 

 at the growing 

 time of the plant. 

 They should pre- 

 ferably be germi- 

 nated in seed-pans, which should be exposed to freez- 

 ing before the natural germinating time. Seedlings 

 usually flower the third season. The dutch hybrid 

 crocus is often useful for naturalizing in the lawn, 

 although the grass may run out the plants in a few 

 years, if the bulbs are not replaced by strong ones; they 

 will not last more than a year or two if the foliage is 

 mown off, but if the foliage is allowed to remain until ripe 

 and if the lawn is fertile, the plants may remain in fair 

 condition three or four years or more. (J. N. Gerard.) 



INDEX. 



1113. Reticulated and membranaceous 

 tunics. Crocus susianus (left) and C. 

 sativus (right). 



