Bulbocodium
(from bolbos, a bulb, and kodion, wool; referring to the woolly covering of the bulbs). ORD. Liliaceae. TRIBE Colchiceae. A very pretty little bulbous plant, much resembling the Crocus, from which it differs principally in having a superior ovary and six stamens. It is amongst the earliest of spring-flowering plants, the flowers preceding the foliage; and, like the majority of bulbs, delights in rich sandy loam. In such positions, they multiply rapidly from offsets. It is a good plan to take up the bulbs, divide, and replant them every second year, selecting in autumn, and renewing the soil or planting in new positions. Few plants prove more welcome in the garden, in February, than B. vernum, either in beds, patches, or masses. B. Aitchisoni (Aitchison's). A synonym of Merendera persica. B. Eichleri (Eichler's). A synonym of Merendera caucasica. B. trigynum. A synonym of Merendera caucasica.
B. vernum (spring).* fl. violet-purple, with a white spot on the claw; long, tubular, funnel-shaped, two to three from each bulb; preceding the appearance of the leaves. Very early spring. l. usually three in number, broadly strap-shaped, concave, and surrounded at the base by well-developed sheaths. Bulb black, oblong. h. 4in. to 6in. Spain, 1649. There is a is a variety with the leaves striped white, which is also desirable.