DeEcEMBER, 1908 
The Cloth-of-Gold crocus, a yellow flower of Feb- 
Iruary, suffused outside with brown (C. Susianus) 
popular now and fairly cheap (about $25 a 
thousand). 
The most consistently colored member of 
the purple group probably, is C. Clusii, 
which I shall call the “Portuguese purple 
crocus.”’ It is said to bloom from the end 
of September till November and even into 
December, but the chances are that this 
refers to its season in the wild. 
The most distinguished of the purples 
is the iris-flowered crocus (C. Byzantinus 
or wiidiflorus), so called because it is the 
only member of the genus in which the 
three inner petals are conspicuously shorter 
and narrower than the outer. It is also 
the only species with purple stigmas. 
Possibly the best purple for November 
is C. medius, but I do not feel sure enough 
of it to call it the “ November purple crocus.” 
It might be called the “ Mentone crocus” as 
it grows wild from there to Spezzia. It is one 
of those exceptional species which are veined 
inside instead of outside. In this case the 
veins are near the base of the petals. 
Then comes a break of two months 
which can probably be filled some time by 
a variety of levigatus. 
In February comes Sieber’s crocus (C. 
Siebert). I can imagine nothing gayer than 
its pale purple with a yellow base, the 
throat being yellow both inside and out. 
But the feathered form is said by connoisseurs 
to be even more attractive. 
CHOICE PINKISH CROCUSES 
I am sorry to say that there is no true 
pink crocus, the nearest approach being 
THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 
rosy lilac. I think it quite improbable 
that we shall ever get pink or blue in this 
genus as these colors do not seem to be 
derivable from purple. A good pink can 
nearly always be secured from red, but there 
is no red crocus. 
The only October-bloomer in this group 
is C. longiflorus, which I should call the 
“fragrant Sicilian crocus.” This is a 
uniform pale vinous lilac with a yellow 
throat, but there is also a feathered form, 
which I should consider less precious 
because the ideal in this group is a pure 
pink. 
The only November-bloomer I know 
of in this class is C. Tournefortit which 
might be called the “ November lilac crocus.”’ 
It has a few purple veins outside toward 
the base, but its general effect is probably 
self-colored. This flower is remarkable 
for never closing after it has once opened. 
There are great gaps in this group. Per- 
haps we can get a cheap winter-blooming 
lilac crocus from a form of levigatus and a 
cheap October bloomer in C. sativus, var. 
Elwesii which looks like the biggest of all 
that open between October and February. 
It is four inches across. I do not see it 
catalogued, but Mr. Bowles had some a 
few years ago. 
CHOICE BLUISH CROCUSES 
The word “blue” often appears in cata- 
logue descriptions and doubtless causes 
much disappointment among buyers. We 
have some very pretty suggestions of blue 
among lilac and purple crocuses, but I 
believe it most improbable that we shall 
Saffron, most famous of all crocuses ((’. sa/ivus), 
cultivated 3,000 years for the splendid orange dye 
yielded by enormous styles. Blooms October 
229 
The iris-flowered crocus, so called because it is 
the only one having inner petals conspicuously 
smaller than the outer ((. Byzantinus) 
ever get even as near to blue as the Navy 
Blue sweet pea. 
We have two very good autumn-bloomers 
of a bluish color, but then comes a long 
break, which might be filled by a variety 
C. serotinus, for the type is due in November 
and December. It belongs, however, to 
the feathered group, and though culti- 
vated for over two hundred years, is rarely 
catalogued. 
The only bluish crocus for February 
that I know of is C. biflorus, var. Leichtlinit, 
which will doubtless cost twenty-five cents 
a bulb before it gets to this country. Judg- 
ing from the longest Dutch lists it is the 
only near approach to pale blue among the 
spring bloomers, save Tommasinianus which 
is too late, since it blooms after vernus. 
CHOICE FEATHERED CROCUSES 
Probably the earliest 
among the crocuses is C. cancellatus, for 
which I suggest the name “edible crocus” 
because the corms are sold for food in 
Damascus. (Another species, Gazllardotii, 
is also largely used for food but is unlikely 
to come into cultivation.) The typical 
cancellatus is pale lilac, more or less veined 
purple. One hardly knows whether to 
classify this species among the pinkish or 
feathered forms and there is doubt, too, 
about the season of bloom. The tradesmen 
say it does not flower till January. 
Much cheaper than the edible crocus are 
“September feathered” (C. speciosus) and 
the October-blooming “saffron,” both of 
which I have described in Country Life in 
America. 
autumn-bloomer 
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