102 THE CROCUS. 



L. (Acis) ROSEUM. — The flowers of this species are rose- 

 color, drooping ; produced, three or four in succession, in 

 autumn. It requires greenhouse protection, sandy loam, 

 and to be kept hot and dry when at rest. 



A species called grandiflorum has large, white, drooping 

 ' nvers. 



THE CROCUS. 



This pretty spring-flow^ering plant is common in every 

 garden ; and like the snowdrop, which it succeeds in its 

 period of flowering, it will endure a vast amount of ill 

 treatment, but is none the less benefited by careful culture. 



The crocus is primarily divided into two classes, — those 

 flowering in spring and those blooming in autumn. Of the 

 number of species, there is great question among botanists. 

 Loudon enumerates sixteen. Mrs. Loudon, in her charming 

 work on " Bulbs," speaks of ninety species and varieties. 

 Sweet, in his '■' Catalogue of Plants," gives but twenty ; and 

 the catalogues of modern florists almost ignore the species, 

 but give us scores of seminal varieties. Indeed, such has 

 been the improvement in this flower since it came into the 

 culturist's hands, that the varieties exceed in beauty any of 

 the species, most of which are now found only in botanic 



