By Joseph Sabine, Esq.' 



453 



yellow, especially at their tops. The leaves at the time of 

 inflorescence are longer than the flowers, they are not 

 numerous, they are at first upright, but after a time when 

 they become elongated they spread over the ground ; they 

 decay early. The germen is white, and the tube of the 

 flower is pale lilac on the top. The petals are pure white, 

 oblong, concave and obtuse, in decay assuming a bluish tinge, 

 the outer are emarginate, (which is not the case in the other 

 varieties) at first cream-coloured, with five distinct purple 

 feathered stripes extending their whole length, with two 

 narrow short stripes besides on each side ; the inner petals 

 are broadest, and have at the base a dull greenish purple 

 spot, feathered and pointed at its apex ; the yellow colouring 

 at the bottom of the flower within, is also seen externally. 

 The stigmas are nearly entire, and extend a little above 

 the tops of the anthers. It produces seeds freely. The 

 bulbs are of moderate size, roundish; the outer coat is pale 

 chesnut, the inner a shining paler brown: The bud on the 

 root is yellow. The " Crocus vernus striatus vulgaris, or, The 

 ordinary striped Crocus" of Parkinson's Paradisus, N°. 10, 

 page 1G2, and of the first Edition of Miller's Gardeners 

 Dictionary, has been usually referred to this, but as it is re- 

 presented to have only three stripes on the back of the 

 outer petals, it more properly belongs as a synonym to the 

 next variety. This was first figured (in 1804) in the Bota- 

 nist's Repository, tab. 362, but the stripes of the petals are 

 there very irregularly represented. The figure in the Bo- 

 tanical Magazine, tab. 845, published in 1805, is good. C. 

 biflorus is figured by Redoute in hisPlantes Liliacees, Plate 

 294, but with so little attention to correctness that it is not 



