254 



A HISTORY OF THE SPECIES OF CROCUS. 



six or seven in a 4i-inch pot of good yellowish loam, and 

 plunged in a bed of sand. As soon as the leaves decay and the 

 seed ripens they should be protected from rain and dew, admit- 

 ting the sunshine, and in August the covering should be re- 

 moved. Those of which it is wished to delay the flowering 

 must be kept dry longer, and be less exposed to the sun. It is 

 to be regretted that the Dutch, whose artificial compost pro- 

 duces Crocuses of such extraordinary bulb and strength, should 

 have so very few sorts in cultivation. 



It is singular that the native places of the principal Crocuses 

 that have been long in cultivation are unknown. C. biflorus of 

 Miller, called Scotch Crocus, probably because it was introduced 

 into our gardens through Scotland, cannot be discovered in its 

 present state, though many varieties closely allied to it are to be 

 found; yet it is no garden variety, for it has been increased so 

 long by offsets that it is become absolutely sterile, while the wild 

 varieties, which we know, are very fertile when brought into cul- 

 tivation. The same is to be said of the great yellow C. luteus 

 so common in cultivation, which is equally sterile, and its locality 

 has not been yet discovered. Crocus sulphureus, and the striped 

 sulphureus, striatus, and stellaris of Haworth, have not been 

 found. The former, however, is probably an old sterile garden 

 variety of C. lagenaeflorus ; and the two others are perhaps mules 

 between lagenaeflorus and reticulatus. 



In this history 43 species are described and arranged in the 

 following manner : — 



Division I. — INVOLUCRATI; i. e. Crocuses having an in- 

 volucre below the flowers. 



Sect. 1. Membraxacei. Bulb- Coats membranous. 



Sp. 1. C. Vallicola. Bot. Reg. 1845, Misc. p. 7. Ib. 

 1847, t. 16, f. 3. 



C. cormo e minimis, tunica prsecipua tenuissime membranacea, fibris paral- 

 lels superne confluentibus proxima interiore tenui membranacea in 

 vertice cormi sita, fl. autumnali, spatha ebracteata circiter sesquiunciam 

 exserta perianthio albo If unc. acuto maculis binis luteis in lacinise cu- 

 jusque regione inferiore, sepalis vix f unc. latis, petalis parum angus- 

 tioribus, tubo ultra unciam libero superne ultra £ unc. ampliate pro- 

 ducto, filamentis albis £ unc. antheris semuncialibus albis stigmata 

 ssepissime apice bifida fere aequantibus, stylo pallide subaurantiaco 

 gracili ; foliis hysteranthiis, capsula parva pallide badia apiculata. 



Flowers in October, in elevated mountain hollows of the Alps 

 of Trebizond, on the mountain Koulak Dagh, near the village 

 of Stauros. 



Corm very small ; chief coat membranaceous, with a few parallel 



