45 CROCUS. [class in. oaDER i. 



Habitat. — Meadows between Nottingham Castle and the river Trent, 

 abundant. 



Perennial ; flowering in March. 



Long since naturalised in the above station, where it has increased 

 to so great an extent, that its beautiful flowers, the harbingers of Spring, 

 cover an extent of a great number of acres with a rich mantle of a 

 bright purple colour. 



3. C.min'imus, Red. (Fig. 56.) least ptirple Crocus, Stigma erect 

 within the flower, longer than the stamens, and divided into three 

 obtuse lobes ; bulb clothed with a subcoriaceous coat, separating 

 in rings at the base. 



Hooker, in Botanic Magazine, t. 2991. — British Flora, vol. i. p. 24. 

 — C.prcs'cox, English Botany, Supplement, t. 2645. — C. reticula'tus, 

 English Flora, voh i. p. 47. 



A small but distinct species, although without much doubt an out- 

 cast of the garden. Corolla white, sometimes pale blue or yellow, the 

 three outer segments marked with three longitudinal feathery stripes of 

 a purple colour. 



Habitat.— In Sir H. Bunbury's Park, at Barton Hall, Suflfolk. 



Perennial ; flowering in March. 



4. C. aureus, Smith, (Fig. 57.) golden Crocus. Stigma shorter than 

 the stamens ; bulbs clothed with a thick smooth compact fibrous 

 coat. 



Hooker, in Botanic Magazine, t. 2986. — British Flora, vol. i. p. 25. 

 — English Botany, Supplement, t. 2646. — C. lu'tens, Lindley, Synop- 

 sis, note, p. 255. 



Flowers small, a golden yellow colour, two or more springing fi'om 

 one bulb. Leaves shorter than the tube, but when the corolla has de- 

 cayed, they become much longer. It is equally probable that this, 

 with the last species, has emanated from a garden. 



Habitat. — With the preceding, in Sir H. Bunbury's Park, at Barton 

 Hall, Suffolk. 



Perennial ; flowering in March. 



5. C. nudijlo'ru^, Sm. (Fig. 58.) nahed-Jlowering Crocus, Stigma 

 erect within the flower, in three deeply lacinated tufted lobes 

 about the same height as the stamens. The flowers appear 

 without leaves. 



English Botany, t. 491. — English Flora, vol. i. p. 47. — Lindley, Sy- 

 nopis, p. 255. — Hooker, British Flora, vol. i. p. 25. 



Root small, clothed with loose reticulated fibrous membranes, and 

 sending out ofi'sets or scaly runners. Lower part of the sterfi mostly 

 swelling, and, as well as the tube, enveloped in their membranous 

 sheaths. Flowers purple. Leaves not appearing until some time aftfir 

 the flowers have disappeared, long, flat, pale coloured. 



