CKINUM 



KF. Miirgin of h'S. smooth. 



21. giganteum. And. Bulb 5-6 in. thick : Ivs. 12 or 

 more, 2-3 ft. long, 3— t in. broad, narrowed toward the 

 base; veins distant, with distinct cross veinlets : fls. 4-6, 

 rarely 8-12 : tube 4-7 in. long ; perianth pure white; seg- 

 ments much imbricated. So. Afr. B.M. 923. F.S. 23:2443. 

 G. F. 4: 223. I. H. 33: 617.- A very fragrant species. 



22. virgineum, Mart. Foliage as in C. giganteum ; fls. 

 about 6 ; tube 3-4 in. long ; perianth pure white. South 

 Brazil. See also C. Virginicum, under No. 19. 



In addition to tlie above species the following are advertised, 

 but not sufficiently described : C. nibile, C. Yeminse, and C. 

 Zanzibarinse. T. L. Mead and W. M. 



CK0C6SMIA (Greek, odor of saffm,,. which i< porreiv- 

 able when the dried fls. are placed in \v;inn w.itrri. Iri- 

 d&ceai. This genus has only one s|..ri, v, an. I is not 

 clearly distinguished by Baker fniin ihr .I.in.Iv allied 

 Tritonia, but according to the authur ft the ycuus, it 

 differs in the stamens being separated at equal dis- 

 tances instead of grouped at one side, the form of the 

 limb, the tube not swelled at the top, and the fruit 

 3-seeded instead of many-seeded. The name of this 

 genua is spelled Crocosma by Baker, but it was first 

 spelled L'rocobmia. 



Crocosnua aurea is a showy bulbous autumn bloom- 

 ing plant, which is hardy south ot Washington, D. C, 

 with slight inotiitiiin iinl m thf iioith is treated like 

 Gladiolus ih, l.nll.s 1., nu' s, t i.nt in the spring, after 

 danger "t tic. St m.l Iitt. il in tli. t ill t.n winter storage. 

 It is of e,is\ , ultiii. iimI IS in,.], u III a b\ oftsets or by 

 seeds. Bulbs sh.mM I" st,,i,,l m iii_.it m sphagnum to 

 prevent them tmin li. < > niiii_' t li\. 



airea, Planch (/m/ „, , an i I'ippe.). Heightv2ft.: 

 bulb globose, emiltin,- . n~. t, li..in clefts in the side: 

 scape lK-2 ft. high, liat\ I . I"" n iki il or onl\ bracted 

 above, compressed, 2wiiu'il U- ilisin lions slimiii 

 than the scape, linear, i n- it im iiiiiid Imt with ^ 

 distinct midrib: fls. sessil, m ih. i mi I. ]iiilii].s _' , 

 scattered over a long s, ,^ ,ii with I n 1 il.w.i^ iml 

 seeds at tin s mit tinn j i 1 1 mili In i_lit i i ni-. \i ll..« 

 towardiintci fnln ^1. n.li i .iu\iil I in I n, ^c^niints 

 longer tli in th. ml" < i| -iil. < < lli <l 1 mp nut ^ Mi 

 July-Oit \ s 7 7(iJ 1 Ml'. Ms,, mt, i . stin^ is 



crocoimiflom. Var. impenaliB, Hort. (Fig. 582), grows 

 about 4 ft. high. Vai. maculita. Baker, has dark 

 blotches above the b,ise ot the J inner segments. J. H. 

 III. 33: 567. j. N. Gerabd and W. M. 



CEdCUS (Greek name of Saffron). IrUldcew. Stem- 

 less plants (the grass-like Ivs. rising from the 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 segments. Stamens 3. 

 Ovary 3-loculed: seeds many, nearly globular. The 

 flowers open in sunshine. They come in fall or spring, 

 liut the best known species are spring-flowering, which 

 an- anionf;st the earliest of spring bloom. The new 

 ciirni usnallv grows on top of the old one each year, 

 so that the plants tend to rise out of the ground. "The 



CROCUS 



401 



practically the best for general cultivation are C. Im- 

 perati, C. Siisiaiiits (Cloth of Gold Crocus) and the 

 Dutch hybrids, mostly of (\ Jltrsiacus. These flower in 

 about the oi-d. r ii:iiii,-.l, Tho rosy flowers of C. Jmperati 

 may be exju-t, ,1 wtih tin- earliest snowdrops. The 

 named spei-i.s, lia\ in- sln.i-ter flower tubes than the 

 Dutch hybrids, art- iiot a.s 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 easilv iniured. C. speciosus 

 and C. satii-i,s are probablv the most satisfa.-tory. The 

 latter specio- li:i- Im, n iiMn . :ii< <| i tMni luiii- imme- 

 morial, till' sii:-' I ^ ■ .1 ' ■ I ' il , Kit ion, and 



beingasour ■ ■ ■ !'■ ■ i: monofthis 



species is a -iii.i 1 1 ii.:i n. u i'r:i , S],,iiii ami Italy. 



The eormv .li.-ni<i i. nlant.-.l about 3 inches deep, 

 in a well-woiki i| ainl jm i i . <riy drained soil which is free 

 from clay or tin- .Ic n.x inu' Imnius of manure, etc. They 

 should be carefully ixaiiiiiMil and all bruised and imper- 



^ and replanted every 

 ■ easily (see Bulb). 

 1 in a 4-inch pot for 

 s S. European and 



S.--I;. A |io|iiilar ac- 



corms, therefore, slionl.l 



three or four years. ( i o 



A half dozen conns max 



this purpose. Tin- !;■ nn 



Southwestern Asian. If 



The best account of tli- 



Monograph of tin- linin- 



count of the historv ami siirri.v, l,\ r,,ik,r. w ill l.c found 



in Gardeners' Chronii'li- for lsT:i, pp. Iii7. 17!i, 'JDl, 434, 



542, 609, 680, 1402, 1431, 1466, 1533, 1633. A condensed 



account is contained in Baker's Handbook of the Irideie, 



1892. L. H. B. 



Many forms of Crocus are well known in gardens, 

 where they are Justly valued as among the showiest 

 and brightest of winter and spring flowers. About two- 

 thirds of the species are classed as vernal and the bal- 

 ance 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 species interesting to a botanist or a collector. 



feet 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 en- 

 vironment. In this case they may be allowed to remain 

 until crowding requires their division. This examina- 

 tion should take place after the leaves are matured and 

 dried up. Increase may be had from new corms which 

 are produced more or less freely in different species over 

 or on the sides of old corms. Seeds are often produced 

 freely, but are apt 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 preferably be germinated in seed pans, which 

 should be exposed to freezing before the natural germi- 



