THE SPRING CROCUS 155 



flowers have forced their way up through the snow, 

 and flowering is in full swing. We have already 

 discussed (p. 62) another instance of this curious 

 haste to arrive at the flowering stage, when dealing 

 with the Soldanellas of the pastures. 



Once the process of flowering is over and done 

 with, much work has still to be performed if the 

 results of fertilisation are to be carried through to a 

 successful ending. The next thing the plant does is 

 to send up the leaves. If we enquire why the leaves 

 appear after the flowers and not before, the answer is 

 quite simple. The work of flowering demands a 

 continuous supply of energy, just as an engine 

 requires energy obtained from coal to enable it to 

 perform work. In the case of the Crocus, sufficient 

 energy for the flowering stage is stored up in the 

 corm or underground stem, in the shape of reserve 

 food materials. Hence new food materials, furnished 

 by the green leaves, are not for the moment required. 

 But once the flowers are over and withered, fresh 

 food-supplies are required, both to ripen the seed and 

 to store up new reserves in the new corms of the 

 coming year. These supplies are manufactured by 

 the leaves when once they reach the light. 



Another peculiarity of the Crocus, which is of 

 interest, is the varied coloration of the flowers. 

 Some are nearly white, others are almost wholly 

 purple, others, again, yellowish or pinkish. In 

 some flowers, again, all three colours are combined. 

 The significance of these fluctuations in colour is not 



