THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



CROCUS. 



species, is seen to best advantage under 

 a cold frame. It is known as C. Schim- 

 peri, C. Spruneri, C. cilicicus, and C. 

 damascenns. The western forms are nearly 

 white, and the eastern are either blue or 

 purple ; but the differences of colour are not 

 sufficient to distinguish them as species. 



C. chrysanthus. A vernal Crocus, 

 flowering from January to March accord- 

 ing to elevation, which varies from a 

 little above the sea-level to a height 

 of three or four thousand feet. The 

 flowers are smaller than those of C. 

 aureus, and are usually of bright orange, 

 but occasionally bronzed and feathered 

 externally. A white variety is also found 

 in Bithyniaandon Mount Olympus above 

 Broussa ; this species also varies with 

 pale sulphur-coloured flowers, occasionally 

 suffused with blue towards the ends of 

 the segments dying out towards the 

 orange throat. There are four varieties 

 of this Crocus, distinct in colouring ; they 

 are fusco-tinctus, fusco-lineatus, albidus, 

 and ccerulescens. 



C. Imperati. One of the earliest 

 vernal species, abundant south of Naples, 

 and said to extend to Calabria. Lilac. 

 Very variable in colour and markings. 

 Two varieties occur near Ravello a 

 self-coloured white and a clear rose. 

 The outer surface of the outer segments 

 is coated with rich buff, suffused with 

 purple featherings. Its robust habit and 

 early flowering make it one of the most 

 valuable species for spring gardening- 

 It flowers a fortnight and three weeks 

 before C. vernus. Similar to it is C. 

 minimus, abundant on the west coast of 

 Corsica, the neighbouring islets, and in 

 parts of Sardinia ; it flowers from the 

 end of January to March. The flowers 

 resemble those of C. Imperati in minia- 

 ture, but are of a darker purple and 

 heavily suffused with external brown 

 featherings. Although perfectly hardy, 

 it is not robust enough for gardens. C. 

 suaveolens is also closely allied to C. 

 Imperati, and flowers in February. The 

 flowers .are somewhat smaller and the 

 segments more acute than in C. Imperati. 

 It is hardy and free-flowering, and under 

 bright sunshine is a good ornament to the 

 early spring garden. 



C. iridiflorus. The Banat and Tran- 

 sylvania. Bears in September and October 

 bright-purple flowers before the leaves. 

 Remarkable for purple stigmata and the 

 marked difference between the size of 

 the inner and the outer segments of the 

 perianth. This beautiful plant should be 

 secured if possible. It is often sold as C. 

 byzantinus. 



C. laevigatus. A pretty species from 

 the mountains of Greece and the Cyclades. 

 The flowers vary from white to lilac, being 

 distinctly feathered with purple markings. 

 Its usual flowering time is from the end of 

 October to Christmas, but through the 

 winter to March under cultivation. It 

 does not flower freely in cultivation, and, 

 like the allied species, it is seen to best 

 advantage under a cold frame. 



C. longiflorus. Abundant in the south 

 of Italy, Sicily, and Malta ; flowers in 

 October. The flowers are light purple, 

 yellow at the throat. In general aspect it 

 somewhat resembles C. sativtis, especially 

 in the stigmata, which are usually bright 

 scarlet and entire, but occasionally broken 

 up into fine capillary divisions. In Sicily 

 the stigmata are collected from the wild 

 plant for saffron. It is free-flowering, and 

 very ornamental. 



C. medius. A beautiful purple autumn- 

 flowering species, limited to the Riviera 

 and the adjacent spurs of the Maritime 

 Alps. The flowers are produced in 

 October before the leaves, which appear 

 in the following spring, and rarely 

 exceed two or three to a corm ; the 

 blossoms are bright purple, veined at the 

 base ; the stigmata bright scarlet and 

 much branched. 



C. nudiflorus. A pretty and well- 

 known species. Pyrenees and North of 

 Spain. Naturalised at Nottingham and 

 elsewhere in the midland counties. Its 

 large bluish-purple flowers are produced 

 in September and October before the 

 leaves. Where established it is difficult 

 to eradicate ; the corms produce long 

 stolon-like shoots, which form inde- 

 pendent, corms on the death of the 

 parent, and the plant soon spreads to 

 considerable distances. 



C. ochroleucus bears many creamy- 

 white flowers, with orange throat, from 

 the end of October to the end of 

 December. It well deserves a cold 

 frame, to preserve its showy flowers from 

 frost and rain. 



C. pulchellus. An autumnal species, 

 invaluable for the garden. The pale 

 lavender flowers, with bright yellow throat, 

 are freely produced from the middle of 

 September to early in December. Seed. 



C. serotinus. S. of Spain. Flowers 

 in November. The blossoms are more 

 or less distinctly feathered with darker 

 purple. C. Salzmanni is closely allied 

 to C. serotinus, but is of larger stature, 

 flowering with the leaves in October and 

 November. It is robust and readily 

 multiplied. As the flowers are liable to 

 injury by frost and snow, it is seen to 



