436 Account and Description of Spring Crocuses, fyc 



2. C. Susianus minor. For the knowledge of this hitherto 

 little known kind, I am indebted to Mr. Lindley, who had 

 observed it several years since at Norwich ; some roots of it 

 were obligingly sent by Mrs. Mackie from her Nursery there, 

 to be added to the Society's collection. The leaves resem- 

 ble those of the other sort, but are narrower, and more up- 

 right in growth at first, but after become equally reclinate. 

 The blossoms appear somewhat earlier. The roots correspond. 

 The plant is however smaller and shorter in all its parts; 

 the outer petals have a little less tendency to be revolute, 

 and their yellow is a shade paler ; the marks on the backs of 

 the external petals are subject to the same variations ; but its 

 flower may be particularly distinguished from the other, by 

 the spot at the base of the inner petals, which in this is smaller, 

 less conspicuous, not so much feathered, and paler. 



There may be other varieties of C. Susianus now to be 

 found, for such have doubtless existed ; Parkinson in his 

 Paradisus* mentions four, all of them having netted roots. 

 The first he calls k< The best cloth of Gold Crocus :" this is 

 described and represented with stripes on the back of the 

 petals ; Fig. 11. page 163. The next is " The second cloth 

 of Gold, or the Duke Crocus," with the colour entire on the 

 backs of the petals. The third is " The pale cloth of Gold 

 Crocus," % having flowers with pale yellow petals, and fainter 



* Parkinson's Paradisus, pages 166, 167 ; Nos. 24, 25, 26, and 27. 



f Had I not great reliance on the accuracy of Parkinson, I should be inclined 

 to suspect these two varieties as referable to my C. Susianus vulgaris in the dif- 

 ferent states I have described. 



% This has been referred by Mr. Ha worth to C. stellaris, but I cannot agree 

 to the propriety of the reference. 



