420 IRIS FAMILY. 



5. BEL AM C AND A (or PARDANTHUS), BLACKBERRY LILY. 



(East Indian name.) Flowers late summer. 



B. Ch/nens/s, Adans. China ; cult, in country gardens and escaping 

 into roadsides ; 3-4 high, more branching than an Iris ; the divisions 

 of the orange-colored flower (!' long) mottled above with crimson spots, 

 the fruit, when the valves fall and expose the berry-like seeds, imitating 

 a blackberry, whence the common name. 



6. CROCUS. (Greek name of Saffron.') Cultivated from Eu. and W. 

 Asia. (Lessons, Figs. 105, 106.) 



# Spring flowering. 

 - Yellow-flowered. 



C. Susianus, Ker. CLOTH OP GOLD CROCUS. Leaves 6-8 in a tuft, 

 reaching the flower, narrowly linear, the edges revolute and the center 

 with a white stripe ; perianth tube exserted, the segments !' or less 

 long, bright orange-yellow and soon reflexed, the outer ones flushed or 

 brown-striped on the outside ; anthers orange, longer than the glabrous 

 fila,ments j style branches exceeding the anthers. Crimea. 



C. mcesiacus, Ker. DUTCH C. Later flowered ; leaves 6-8 in a tuft, 

 surpassing the. flower, narrowly linear, the edges reflexed, and a white 

 stripe ; perianth tube 2-3 times longer than the limb ; flower bright yellow, 

 the segments very obtuse, not striped (a striped variety) ; anthers pale 

 yellow and somewhat hastate at the base, somewhat longer than the 

 papillose filaments ; style branches not equaling the anthers. Greece to 

 Asia Minor. There is a form with cream-white flowers. 



C. STELLA.RIS, with fewer leaves in a tuft, little exserted perianth 

 tube, flowers bright orange and the outer segments striped and feathered 

 on the back, anthers pale yellow and longer than the glabrous filaments, 

 and style branches somewhat exceeding the anthers, is a supposed hybrid 

 of the above, known only in cultivation. 



- +- Lilac- or white-flowered. 



C. biflbrus, Miller. SCOTCH C. Leaves 4-6 in a tuft, surpassing the 

 flowers, white-striped and very narrow ; tube exserted, the upper seg- 

 ments !' or less long, tinged with purple, the lower ones with 3 purple 

 stripes down the back; throat slightly bearded, yellowish; anthers 

 orange, longer than the papillose orange filaments ; style branches orange- 

 red. Sterile. Variable. 



C. versicolor, Ker. Leaves 4-5, like the last ; tube exserted ; upper 

 segments either pale or dark purple, the lower ones purple outside and 

 also purple-marked ; throat glabrous, whitish or yellow ; anthers yellow, 

 twice longer than the white filaments ; style branches yellow. S. Eu. 



C. vernus, All. Leaves 2-4, equaling the flower, glaucous beneath ; 

 segments !'-!' long, lilac or white and often striped with purple ; throat 

 pubescent, not yellow ; anthers lemon-yellow, longer than the white fila- 

 ments ; style branches orange-yellow. Eu. The commonest species. 



# * Autumn flowering. 



C. sathus, Linn. FALL CROCUS. With violet purple and fragrant 

 flowers, in autumn, is rarely seen here. Its long and narrow orange-red 

 stigmas are saffron. Asia Minor. 



7. SCHIZOSTYLIS. (Greek: cut style, referring to the 3 long 

 branches.) 



S. coccinea, Backh. & Harv. CRIMSON FLAG, KAFFIR LILY. Not very 

 tender, with long and keeled linear leaves, and stems 3 high, bearing a 



