By Joseph Sabine, Esq. 



449 



ceased to blow. The leaves are narrow, short at first, they 

 grow rigidly upright, then become long, remaining green 

 late. The germen, and every part of the, flower are cream- 

 coloured, except the mouth of the tube, which is tinged with 

 dull pale yellow, verifying the observation (of Mr. Haworth 

 I believe) that every one of the Garden Crocuses, except 

 those referable to C. vernus, has more or less of yellow in 

 the lower parts of the petals. The tube is long, and conse- 

 quently elevates the flower, which is fusiform, before it 

 expands ; the petals are somewhat concave ; the inner ones 

 are shorter than the outer. The stigmas are upright, small, 

 and are much shorter than the anthers, which are long, thin, 

 pale yellow, and spreading. It produces good seeds. The 

 roots have a strong similarity to those of C. lagenaeflorus. 



2. C. lacteus penicillatus. (See Plate XI. Fig. 3. J This 

 is perhaps the most interesting of the Crocuses which are 

 cultivated, differing from the other variety of the species, by 

 the elegant stripes on the base of the outer petals. It is the 

 Crocus lagenaeflorus a,.* of Mr. Salisbury and the C. lagenae- 

 florus y.+ of Mr. Haworth. The leaves are like the preced- 

 ing, but somewhat more numerous. The leaf-sheaths are 

 long. It produces its blossoms nearly as early, though after 

 the preceding, and continues in flower as late ; the tube is 

 less elongated, and consequently the blossoms are not so 

 elevated. The germen has six small spots on its top, and the 

 upper part of the tube is marked with six faint bluish-green 

 lines ; three of these correspond with the centre of the outer 



* Paradisus Londinensis, page 106. 



f Horticultural Society's Transactions, vol. I. page 134. 



vol. vii. 3 N 



