452 Account and Description of Spring Crocuses, %c. 



character induced Mr. Haworth in the Transactions of the 

 Horticultural Society* in 1809, to call it C. circumcissus, a 

 name most assuredly very apposite, though the first on 

 account of its priority notwithstanding its erroneous foun- 

 dation is retained. Of its being distinct from C. vernus, 

 there can be no doubt, though in the new Edition of Mil- 

 ler's Gardener's Dictionary, Professor Martyn makes it 

 only a variety of that species. 



The varieties of Crocus biflorus are the first to appear in 

 the Spring, their blossoms preceding those of C. Susianus, 

 the earliest have some flowers open in the end of January if 

 the season is mild, and all are in full flower in February ; 

 they have an agreeable but not powerful scent, and the fol- 

 lowing common characters, — the outer coats of the roots are 

 circularly divided, as already mentioned ; their leaves are 

 narrow, spreading and long ; the petals white or nearly so, 

 with brown or purple featherings on their external ones ; the 

 insides of the flower white, except the bottom which is tinged . 

 with yellow ; the anthers pale yellow, and of moderate size ; 

 the stigmas deep orange and conspicuous. 



1 . C. biflorus communis. Scotch Crocus with brown leaf- 

 sheaths. This is the most common in our gardens. It 

 comes into flower later than the other varieties of the spe- 

 cies. The leaf-sheaths are much swollen, they are brownish 



•Volume 1, page 137- 



f Mr. Haworth in the Paper referred to, has given new names to several of 

 the species he described, but, though these are certainly all equally as good as, 

 and in some cases preferable from their fitness to those formerly established, it 

 is impossible that they can be adopted without violating the rule adhered to by 

 all Botanists of good authority, of retaining the name given to any species by its 

 first describer. 



