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CROCUS VERSUS: VAR. LEEDSII. 
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CEOCTJS VEENUS : Vae. LEEDSII. 
Nat. Otf.— Iridace-e. 
Generic Character. —Crocus, Tourncfort. — /V'Wf/onecorol- 
line, superior, funnel-shaped, the tuhe elongated, the limh six- 
parted, the interior lohes (petals) smaller, crecto-patent. 
Stamens three, inserted in the throat of the perigone, erect, in- 
cluded ; filaments thread-like; anthers arrow-shaped, affixed 
hy the base. Ovary inferior, obtusely three-sided, three-celled ; 
ovules numerous, in two rows in the inner angle of each cell, 
ascending, anatrnpous ; style thread-like, elongated; stigmas 
three, dilated, wedge-shaped, fleshy, hooded, and finely toothed 
at the apex. Capsule membranous, three-sided, three-celled, 
loculicidally three-valved. Seeds numerous, sub-globose, the 
testa leathery, slightly fleshy, finely wrinkled at the hilum, the 
slender raphe excurrent at the apical chalaza Embryo axile, 
much shorter than the horny albumen, the radical extremity 
turned towards the hilum below. — Stemless herbs, native of 
Europe, Central Asia, and the Mediterranean region ; leaves 
narrowly linear ; flowers radical, large and showy; ovaries in 
some degree subterranean ; certain species cultivated for the 
peculiar qualities of the stigmas (saffron). — (Endlicher, Gen. 
Plantarum, 1248.) 
Crocus vernus, Linnmts. — Throat of the perianth bearded, 
never yellow; style variable in length; stigma capitato-niul- 
tifid (scape involucrate, bulb-coat reticulate). 
Subvar. Leedsii. — Mr. Leeds's Crocus.— Flowers large, divi- 
sions of the perianth very broad and obtuse, deep purple, mar- 
gined with white. 
BESCEIPTIOX. — This very beautiful vernal Crocus has the habit and foliage common to its 
race. Its peculiarities consist in the size, form, and colouring of the flowers. The perianth 
is very large, its divisions remarkably broad, concave, and rounded oft 1 at the top, so as to become 
very obtuse at the apex and bidged out, giving a tulip-like character to the flovrers when in per- 
fection. In regard to form, it is a very striking improvement on any varieties we possess. The 
colouring is rich and dense, a deep violet-purple, which is set off in admirable contrast by a 
distinct pure white margin. 
History, &c. — Eor the opportunity of publishing this very beautiful spring-flowering Crocus 
we are indebted to the kindness of its raiser, E. Leeds, Esq., of Manchester, who writes : — 
" This Crocus is one out of many thousands which I raised some years ago, and the most distinct. 
It is probably from C. vernus, var. obovatus, crossed with some purple variety ; for I took some 
pains in fertilizing one sort with another, "When well established, the white edging is seen 
from a long distance, but it does not appear in perfection until the plant is in vigorous growth." 
The drawing was made from plants grown and established two years in a pot. 
In the History of Crocuses published by the late Dean of Manchester, in the Journal of the 
Horticultural Society, he writes of this species thus : — 
" C. vernus is one of the most widely extended Croei, and of the easiest culture, producing seeds 
abundant^, which grow up spontaneously. It is the Crocus of the Alps, but its flower is small there, 
promiscuously purple and white, or whitish, generally with the throat purple on the outside, but always 
white and hairy within. It reaches Cevcnnes, and I am told it is to be found, though rare, on the 
Pyrenees. It extends, with white flowers, into Carinthia, and is found white with very blunt obovate 
flowers, on the Bavarian Alps, sometimes assuming a blush of purple. I believe it is only found on 
particular spots on the Pyrenees, affecting the oolitic or Jurassic limestone. On the Alps it reaches 
above 5000 feet of altitude. I have seen it both white and purple from the Tyrol. The finer purple 
Neapolitan variety (ncapolitauus) inhabits the loftiest mountains of Calabria and Lucania, not 
descending lower than 0000 feet. On Monte Pollino it flowers as late as June and July, reaching an 
elevation of 6000 feet. On the Wcugern Alp, its flowers actually pierce the remaining snow in June. 
The Odessa variety (nivigena), which grows on part of the Steppes, is much finer, and from thai stock 
the finest garden varieties seem to be derived. The segments of the flower arc so rounded and concave, 
that the half expanded flower is nearly spherical. They arc white, sometimes beautifully striped on 
the inside, or deep purple."— M. 
Vrgrtnlilr ^jji|Dioliip. 
By AKTHUIt HENFREY, Esc, F.L.S., Lectcreii ox Botany at St. George's Hospital. 
EKSriRATION AND NUTRITION. 
tN the last chapter we spoke of the evolution of oxygen gas from the green pans of plants, under the 
influence of light; this is an universal phenomenon. Put if these green parts are withdrawn 
from the influence of light, at night for example, the nature of the interchange of elements with the 
surrounding atmosphere becomes eon pletely reversed, for they absorb oxygen gas and evolve carbonic 
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