Crocus is a genus of seasonal flowering plants in the family Iridaceae comprising about 100 species of perennials growing from corms. They are low growing plants, whose flower stems remain underground, that bear relatively large white, yellow, orange or purple flowers and then become dormant after flowering. Many are cultivated for their flowers, appearing in autumn, winter, or spring. The flowers close at night and in overcast weather conditions. The crocus has been known throughout recorded history, mainly as the source of saffron. Saffron is obtained from the dried stigma of Crocus sativus, an autumn-blooming species. It is valued as a spice and dyestuff, and is one of the most expensive spices in the world. Iran is the center of saffron production. Crocuses are native to woodland, scrub, and meadows from sea level to alpine tundra from the Mediterranean, through North Africa, central and southern Europe, the islands of the Aegean, the Middle East and across Central Asia to Xinjiang in western China. Crocuses may be propagated from seed or from daughter cormels formed on the corm, that eventually produce mature plants. They arrived in Europe from Turkey in the 16th century and became valued as an ornamental flowering plant.
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also widely used to distinguish plants with little or no woody growth from trees and shrubs, which are also technically perennials.
Myrrhis odorata, with common names cicely, sweet cicely, myrrh, garden myrrh, and sweet chervil, is a herbaceous perennial plant belonging to the celery family Apiaceae. It is the only species in the genus Myrrhis.
Gazania rigens, sometimes called treasure flower, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, native to coastal areas of southern Africa. It is naturalised elsewhere and is widely cultivated as an ornamental plant.
Crocus flavus, known as yellow crocus, Dutch yellow crocus or snow crocus, is a species of flowering plant in the genus Crocus of the family Iridaceae. It grows wild on the slopes of Greece, former Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Romania and northwestern Turkey, with fragrant bright orange-yellow flowers. It is a small crocus (5–6 cm, despite the names of some cultivars, compared to the giant Dutch crocuses. Its cultivars are used as ornamental plants.
Colchicum speciosum is a species of flowering plant in the family Colchicaceae, native to mountainous areas of northern Turkey, the Caucasus and northern Iran. Growing to 18 cm (7 in) tall by 10 cm (4 in) wide, it is an herbaceous perennial growing from corms. C. speciosum blooms in the fall, producing reddish/violet flowers on stems up to 30 centimetres (12 in) tall without any leaves present. The strap-like leaves grow in the spring, then yellow, wither and die back as summer progresses. The flowers strongly resemble those of the crocus, the familiar spring-flowering bulb; hence the common name autumn crocus which is applied to this and other colchicum species. However the two genera belong to different families; and there is in fact an autumn-flowering crocus species, Crocus sativus, the source of the spice saffron. By contrast, all parts of Colchicum speciosum are toxic if ingested.
Crocus angustifolius, the cloth-of-gold crocus, is a species of flowering plant in the genus Crocus of the family Iridaceae, native to southern Ukraine and Armenia. It is a cormous perennial growing to 5 cm (2.0 in) tall and wide. The narrow grass-like leaves with silver central stripe appear in late winter or early spring. They are followed by bright yellow fragrant flowers with maroon blotches on the outer petals.
Crocus biflorus, the silvery crocus or scotch crocus, is a species of flowering plant in the genus Crocus of the family Iridaceae, native to southeastern Europe and southwestern Asia, including Italy, the Balkans, Ukraine, Turkey, Caucasus, Iraq, and Iran. It is a cormous perennial growing to 6 cm (2.4 in) tall and wide. It is a highly variable species, with flowers in shades of pale mauve or white, often with darker stripes on the outer tepals. The flowers appear early in spring.
Crocus corsicus is a species of flowering plant in the genus Crocus of the family Iridaceae, endemic to the Mediterranean islands of Corsica and Sardinia.
Crocus etruscus is a species of flowering plant in the genus Crocus of the family Iridaceae, endemic to woodlands of Central Tuscany (Italy). It is a cormous perennial growing to 8 cm (3.1 in) tall. The lilac flowers with purple veining and prominent orange stigmas appear in early spring.
Crocus ancyrensis, sometimes known as the Ankara crocus, is a species of flowering plant in the genus Crocus of the family Iridaceae, endemic to North and Central Turkey. It was named ancyrensis as it was first discovered in Ankara.
Crocus brachyfilus, synonym Crocus elegans, is a species of flowering plant in the genus Crocus of the family Iridaceae. It is found in Turkey.
Crocus ochroleucus is species of flowering plant in the Iridaceae family. It is a cream-colored crocus native to Lebanon, Palestine and Syria.
Crocus baytopiorum is a species of flowering plant in the genus Crocus of the family Iridaceae. It is a cormous perennial native to Turkey.
Crocus fleischeri is a species of flowering plant in the genus Crocus of the family Iridaceae. It is a cormous perennial with a native range from the eastern Aegean Islands to western and south western Turkey.
Crocus alatavicus is a species of flowering plant in the genus Crocus of the family Iridaceae. It is a cormous perennial native to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Xinjiang.
Crocus gargaricus is a species of flowering plant in the genus Crocus of the family Iridaceae. It is a cormous perennial native to Turkey.
Crocus jablanicensis is a species of flowering plant in the genus Crocus of the family Iridaceae. It is a cormous perennial native from eastern Albania to western north Macedonia.
Crocus haussknechtii is species of flowering plant growing from a corm native to southern Jordan, northern Iraq to western Iran.
Crocus dispathaceus is species of flowering plant growing from a corm, with a native range from southern Turkey to northern Syria.
