150 ENGLISH BOTANY. 



closed fusiform-cylindrical, about half the length of the tube, the 

 throat yellow, glabrous. Stigma overtopping the stamens, deeply 

 3 -cleft, with the divisions narrowly wedgeshaped, channelled, truncate, 

 slightly notched and faintly crenate at the apex. 



Natui'alised on the site of an old garden in Barton Park, Bury St. 

 Ednmnds, Suffolk. In this station it has maintained its ground for 

 more than half a century. 



[England.] Perennial. Early Spring. 



Corm flowering when a little larger than a marrow-pea, remarkable 

 for the structure of its coats, which are almost crustaceous in texture, 

 pale yellow with a bro^vl^ bloom ; these coats split transversely, leaving 

 a ring at the base; they show no indication of the fibrous textui-e 

 ■which is common in the tunics of the corms of this genus. Leaves 

 appearing very early in the year, dark green with a narrow white 

 line down the centre. Perianth tube extending 1 to 11 mch above 

 the spathe; perianth segments 1 to 1^ inch long, narrowly elliptical, 

 subacute, white tinged with ]iale lilac, especially inside, the outer ones 

 Avith about three dark purplish stripes, the base tinged with yellow. 

 Antliers yellow, longer than the filaments. Stigma yellowish-orange, 

 the segments erect. Capsule about J inch long or a little more. 

 Seeds about the size of sago grains, with a pale red' spongy testa. 



For fresh specimens of this and the next species I am indebted to Sir 

 Charles Bunbury, the present owner of Barton Park. These specimens 

 are much smaller in all their parts than the " Scotch Crocus " (which 

 is the usual garden form of C. biflorus), and have the closed perianth 

 more cylindrical, more tinged with lilac, and with the lines of a 

 clearer jjurple. In other respects the Barton Park plant is similar to 

 the garden form. 



Scotch Crocus. 



SPECIES II.— CROCUS AUREUS. Sthih. 

 Plate MCCCCXCVIII. 

 fi.'kh. Ic. Fl. Germ, et Hclv. Vol. IX. Tab. CCCLVII. Fig. 792. 



Corm not stoloniferous, clothed with rather thick somewhat leathery 

 coats, not splitting transversely, but marked with and ultimately split- 

 ting at the base into broad longitudinal flattened fibres. Leaves pro- 

 duced in early spring with the flowers, very narrowly linear, with 

 parallel sides and strongly revolute margins. Spathe 1-valved, ob- 

 liquely acute, scarious. Flowers 1 to 4, usually 2 or 3, appearing in 

 spring. Perianth segments when closed oblanceolate-fusiform, not 

 half the length of the tube, the throat yellow, glabrous. Stamens 

 about half the length of the perianth segments. Stigma much shorter 



