By Joseph Sabine, Esq. 



443 



consist in the deep colour of the flower of C. stellaris, in the 

 markings of its petals, and in the disposition of its flowers to 

 expand themselves more freely. Some other minute differ- 

 ences are noticed in the Synoptical Table of the species. Of 

 its origin we are not informed ; it might be taken for a seed- 

 ling from the striped variety of C. sulphureus, if that kind 

 ever produced seeds; or it may have been a mixed production, 

 between C. sulphureus, and C. Susianus ; the latter, being 

 seminiferous, may have been impregnated by pollen of the 

 former, and have thus yielded an offspring resembling its male 

 parent in all points, except the brilliancy of its colour, its 

 markings, and its disposition to expand its blossoms ; these it 

 would have derived from the female. The Crocus stellaris 

 comes into flower early, soon after C. Susianus, and produces 

 plenty of blossoms, closely set together. The leaves are 

 narrow, numerous, and upright, rising only to the base 

 of the flowers at their first blossoming; they grow long 

 afterwards, and continue green till a later period than those 

 of other sorts. The germen is white, slightly striped. The 

 tube of the flower has six brownish stripes at the top. The 

 petals are a bright rich deep yellow, lanceolate, obtuse, entire, 

 concave, they are never revolute, and do not open much, but 

 are somewhat stellate under bright sunshine. The outer 

 petals have on their backs five brownish purple stripes, the two 

 external stripes being less distinct, and more feathered ; the 

 inner petals are broader than the outer, and have an abbrevi- 

 ated, green feathered stripe at their base. The stigmas are 

 very pale yellow, equal, broadish, growing nearly even with 

 the anthers, which are pale yellow, short, and of moderate 

 size. The bulbs are small and multiply rapidly ; they are 



