IRIDACE^. 153 



The eastern name of tlie Crocus is still " Zaiifaxan," of which our word saffron 

 seems to be a corruption. 



The quantity of saffron grown in England is now but small. In Cambridgeshire 

 and Essex there are crops occasionally to be seen. The flowers are gathered in the 

 morning, when they are quite open, and the stigmas picked out and dried between 

 papers in a kiln. It was formerly made into cakes, and dried under pressm-e, but 

 this plan is rarely followed, and what is sold as cake saffron is really composed 

 of safHower. Large quantities are imported from France and Spain. 



SPECIES III.— CROCUS VERNUS. All. 



Plate MCCCCXCIX. 



Beicl. Ic. Fl. Germ, et Helv. Vol. IX. Tab. CCCLV. 

 Billot, Fl. Gall, et Germ. Exsicc. No. 1335. 



Corm not stoloniferous, clothed with thin membranous coats not 

 splitting transversely, but containing numerous slender anastomosing 

 capillary fibres. Leaves produced in spring with the flowers, broadly 

 linear, widest in the middle and tapering towards the end, with 

 slightly revolute margins. Spathe 1-valved, scarious, obliquely ob- 

 tuse. Flowers 1 or 2, appearing in spring. Perianth segments when 

 closed oblanceolate-ovoid, much shorter than the tube; the throat 

 purple or white, with a circle of hairs between the bases of the 

 stamens. Stamens two-thirds the length of the perianth segments. 

 Stigma equalling the stamens, deeply 3-cleft, with the divisions wedge- 

 shaped-obdeltoid, channelled, truncate and deeply crenate at the apex. 



Completely naturalised in meadows in sevei'al places in England. 

 Very abundant in Nottingham Meadows, where it has been long 

 known to occur; also at Mendham on the confines of Norfolk and 

 Suffolk, and at Hornsey, Middlesex. In many other places it has been 

 noticed, but only as the outcast of gardens. In Ireland it is plentiful 

 near the Old Castle, Dmiganstown, Wicklow. 



England, Ireland. Perennial. Spring. 



Corm more depressed than in the two preceding, flowering when 

 about the diameter of a fourpenny piece, clotlied with brown coats 

 which are remarkable for their slender reticulated fibres. Sheaths at 

 the base of the stem scarious. Leaves short at the time of flowering, 

 lengthening afterwards, and ultimately attaining the breadth of i to f 

 inch in the middle, -with a rather broad white line down the centre. 

 Perianth segments 1|^ to 2 inches long, rather pale purple, darker 

 towards the base, varying to white. Anthers bright yellow. Stigmas 

 orange, much broader and more distinctly crenate than in the two 

 preceding species. Capsule about f mch long. Seeds pale red, about 

 the size of white mustard seed. 



VOL. IX. X 



