A HISTORY OF THE SPECIES OF CROCUS. 



275 



lida fortiter reticulata non truncata neque cribrata prope basim absque 

 Stella persistente affixa, foliaceis setose apiculatis in vertice sitis fibris 

 reticularis, foliis 4-7, caualiculis enervibus costa nervata, spatha brac- 

 teata, tubo pallido, fauce extus violaceo fuscescente notato intus lsevi 

 luteo, limbo ad basim aureo sepalis majoribus saturate violaceis petalis 

 pallidioribus minoribus, filamentis lsevibus aureis vel lutescentibus 

 brevibus infra faucem insertis, antheris aureis erectis filamento duplo 

 longioribus stylo brevioribus eique adpressis, stigmatibus brevibus 

 vix fissis subaureis vel sub-coccineis, capsula apicem versus purpurea 

 nuda, seminibus parvulis compressione subangulatis glabris pallide 

 brunneis, chalaza saturatiore prostante, raphe pallida corrugata. Flore 

 verno. 



Found on the summit of Mount Delphi, in Eubcea, by Vrioni, 

 sent thither to seek it. A larger variety was collected by 

 Sprunner on Mount Corydallus, ?iear Athens. 



Having obtained C. nivalis from Taygetus, I find it to agree 

 with my C. sublimis, and not with Gay's C. Sieberianus, the outer 

 foliaceous coat being inserted near the summit, the inner vagina- 

 ceous one near the base. This plant is described by M. Gay 

 with the outer foliaceous coat attached at the base ; and he stated 

 it to be identical with Bory's C. nivalis, which grows on the 

 summit of Taygetus, flowering near the unmelted snow, and 

 late in May. Relying on his description, I considered the Eu- 

 boean C. sublimis to be distinct ; but in order to solve my doubts 

 I sent Signer P. Vrioni to Taygetus to obtain C. nivalis, where 

 Bory had met with it ; and having received it, T find that it agrees 

 with my sublimis, and not with Gay's description of his C. Sie- 

 berianus from Crete and the Troad, of which I know nothing. I 

 even entertain doubts of the existence of that species, unless it 

 should be this misdescribed. 



There is a variety which I call Vrionicus, the tube of which 

 is obstructed by the down beard between the filaments, of which 

 the base is also bearded ; whereas the tube and filaments of C. 

 nivalis, whether from Negropont or the Morea, are perfectly 

 smooth ; but I cannot think that it ought to be specifically sepa- 

 rated on that account. There is a like difference between Astu- 

 ricus and Pyrenaeus, of which the former may perhaps be properly 

 considered a variety, although this is not the only difference be- 

 tween the two. 



The Gailahs or sloping table lands of the Lycian mountains 

 are from 3300 to 5000 feet high. On the peaks above them, 

 higher than the juniper reaches, C. nivalis was found by Forbes 

 and Sprat close to the snow on the heights of Massicytus, whose 

 loftiest peak is 10,000 feet high. Supposing my collector to 

 have considered Mount Lycodino to be part of the forest of 

 Kubaz, which I believe it is, and its summit to be its lowest 

 ascertained position, the height thereof is about 3136 feet. 



