456 Account and Description of Spring Crocuses, $c. 



only a few seeds. The bulbs resemble those of C. biflorus, 

 but are smaller. 



2. C. argent eus precox. (See Plate 11. Fig. 5.) This 

 beautiful and valuable variety was a seedling raised by my- 

 self from the last ; it agrees with it in most points, but the 

 petals are a little narrower, and have more of the lilac tinge. 

 Its leaves spread rather more over the ground, and it yields 

 seed plentifully. Its peculiar merit is that of producing its 

 blossoms the first of all the Crocuses, the flowers are in per- 

 fection when those of every other variety have scarcely risen 

 from the ground. 



9. Crocus Pusillus. Small Crocus. 



This pretty little Crocus is a native of Italy, from whence 

 it was sent to the garden of the Society by Professor Tenore, 

 of Naples, who first described * and named it. It was received 

 from him in September 1824, and flowered in the Spring fol- 

 lowing. It has a strong affinity to C. biflorus, and it is not 

 unlikely that the varieties of that may be garden derivations 

 from it, and probably all may be reducible to one species. 

 There are however differences which appear in the Synoptical 

 Table, which have induced me for the present to keep C. 

 biflorus, C. argenteus, and C. pusillus separate. C. pusillus 

 produces a moderate quantity of flowers early in the season, 

 at the same time as C. biflorus, but later than C. argenteus. 

 The leaves are very narrow, rather spreading, and are longer 

 than the flower when it opens. The whole flower is very 

 small ; the tube is faintly marked with lilac lines ; the petals are 

 concave, the three outer white, marked with three lines, the 

 * Tenore Cat. Hort. Neap. 1813, page 31. 



