By Joseph Sabine, Esq. 471 



purple, except that their tops are somewhat darker, and a 

 little feathered, and the inner petals are slightly feathered. 

 Others are a darker purple, and have dark purple pointed 

 spots on the outside of the base of the petals, and are also 

 darker at their tops ; the inner petals of these are neatly 

 feathered, and have whitish edges. The stigmas are small, 

 equal, bifid, and are elevated above the anthers. The roots 

 are small, flattened, covered with a coarse thin pale brown 

 striated coat, and do not increase very much. The preceding 

 description will apply to most of the blossoms, but very great 

 variation occurs in them ; in some the petals are broader, 

 shorter, concave, forming obovate flowers ; some flowers are 

 very pale lilac, others dark purple, and the featherings vary 

 much, some being more marked than others ; some are even 

 nearly white; the stigmas are also occasionally very pale 

 yellow. I have also seen an instance where eight petals and 

 four stigmas were produced by one flower. The figure of the 

 Nottingham plant in English Botany, tab. 344, is good and 

 correct, it is without the dark markings at the base of the 

 petals. 



I believe that the Nottingham meadow is the only cer- 

 tainly wild station of the Crocus vernus in England. Like 

 others of our hardy bulbous plants, it will however remain 

 and increase where it was originally a garden plant, long after 

 every vestige of cultivation has disappeared, if the place 

 where it was left be undisturbed. Several such neutralized 

 habitats, if they may be so called, are known to English 

 Botanists. I have for many years been acquainted with 

 a spot of this description in the Park at Brookmans, in 

 Hertfordshire, where a considerable extent, perhaps near 

 half an acre, is enlivened with the blossoms of Crocus vernus 



