194 132. Crocus. 20. IRIDE^. PI end. ph. 



I. 132. CROCUS. Theophrastus. Saffrm. 



Perigonium funnelshape ; hiLe long ; limh 6-partecl, re-" 

 gular ; stamens 3 ; Jilaments awlshape, inserted in the base 

 of the lobes of the perigonium ; anthers linear ; pollen glo- 

 bular; ovary 3-sided, adherent; style long, filiform; apex 

 truncated, 3-lobed; lobes wedgeshape, erose or fringed at 

 the tip ; stigma terminal ; capsUle 3-sided ; seeds many, 

 roundish; 5Ae/Z succulent; pemperwz horny; corculum cen- 

 tral, straight, radicle descending. — Herb stemless, perennial; 

 combus double, one above the other ; tunics entire or reti- 

 culately fibrous ; leaves slender, linear, radical ; midrib 

 broad, whitish ; spathe 1 or 2 leaved, membranaceous, 1 to 3 

 flowered ; capsules when ripe elevated. 



a. Lobes of the style truncated, erose or toothed ; spathe 

 \-leafed ; tube of the perigonium closed above with, 

 hairs ; flowers vernal, with the leaves, no part yellow. 



1 . Crocus vermis. Spring saffron. 



Tunics of the combus ribbed, fibrous ; midrib of the leaves 

 white; style longer than the stamens; lobes of the perigo- 

 nium lanceolate, attenuated, imbricated. 



Crocus vernus flore purpureo, Ger. em. 154, 5. 

 Crocus sativus vernus, Lin. S. P. 250. 

 Crocus vernalis coerulea, Deering Notts. 60. 

 Crocus officinalis i6, Huds, Fl. Angl. 13. 

 Crocus vernus, Wulfeti. 

 Ixia vernalis, Salisb. Prod. 

 Crocus vernus |S, Gamier Bot. Mag. 2860. 

 Purple spring saffron. Purple crocus. 



Fields ; perennial ; March and April. 

 Flowers blue, white or violet. 



b. Lobes of the style truncated, erose or toothed; spalhe 

 2-leafed; tube of the perigonium bald; flowers autumnal, 

 before the leaves, yellowish. 



2. Crocus sativus. Cultivated saffron. 



Lobes of the style reflexed, longer than the lobes of the 

 perigonium ; tube longer than the limb. 



Crocus, Rail Syn. 374, 1 ; Ger. em. 151. 



Crocus verus sativus autumnalis, Par/c. Par. 167. 



Crocus sativus officinalis, Lin. S. P. 50. 



Crocus setifolius, Stokes Bot. Mat. Med. 104. 



Crocus officinalis, Engl, But. 343. 



Ixia autumnalis, Salisb. Prod. 33. 



Saffron. IVue saffron. 



