"more than 3,500 years and spans different cultures, continents, and civilizations, see history of saffron. ""Crocus sativus"" is currently known to grow in the Mediterranean, East Asia, and Irano-Turanian Region. Saffron may be the triploid form of a species found in Eastern Greece, ""Crocus cartwrightianus""; it probably appeared first in Crete. An origin in Western or Central Asia, although often suspected, is not supported by botanical research. Other sources suggest some genetic input from ""Crocus pallasii"". ""Crocus sativus"" has a corm, which holds leaves, bracts, bracteole, and the flowering stalk. These are protected by the corm underground. ""C. sativus"" generally"
"to companies or economic sectors that rise early after an economic downturn as ""crocuses"" in reference to the flower's ability to thrive in the late winter or early spring. Crocus or Krokus () was a mortal youth who, because he was unhappy with his love affair with Smilax, was turned by the gods into a plant bearing his name, the crocus. The crocus flower was used in the emblem of the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Poland which was unveiled on 14 December 2018. Crocus Crocus (English plural: crocuses or croci) is a genus of flowering plants in the"
"Crocus flavus Crocus flavus, known as yellow crocus or Dutch yellow crocus, is a species of flowering plant of the ""Crocus"" genus in the Iridaceae family. It grows wild on the slopes of Greece, former Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Romania and northwestern Turkey, with fragrant bright orange-yellow flowers which Tennyson likened to a fire. It is a small crocus (, despite the names of some cultivars, compared to the Giant Dutch crocuses (""C. vernus""). Its cultivars are used as ornamental plants. The Latin specific epithet ""flavus"" means ""pure yellow"". ""C. flavus"" naturalises well in the garden, and its cultivars are used as"
"Crocus (mythology) In Classical mythology, Crocus () was a mortal youth who, because he was unhappy with his love affair with the nymph Smilax, was turned by the gods into a plant bearing his name, the crocus (saffron). Smilax is believed to have been given a similar fate and transformed into bindweed. In another variation of the myth, Crocus was said to be a companion of Hermes and was accidentally killed by the god in a game of discus. Hermes was so distraught at this that he and Chloris transformed Crocus' body into a flower. The myth is similar to"
"Crocus sativus Crocus sativus, commonly known as saffron crocus, or autumn crocus, is a species of flowering plant of the ""Crocus"" genus in the Iridaceae family. It is best known for producing the spice saffron from the filaments that grow inside the flower. The term ""autumn crocus"" is also mistakenly used for flowers in the Colchicum species. However, crocuses have 3 stamens and 3 styles, while colchicum have 6 stamens and 1 style and are toxic. This cormous autumn-flowering perennial plant species is unknown in the wild. Human cultivation of saffron crocus and use of saffron have taken place for"
", yellow, and ""leukos"", white. The Latin name ""Crocus"", and the Greek name ""krokos"" which gave it birth, were used by ancients to designate the peculiar species with violet flowers:"" Crocus sativus"", whose large stigmas, highly fragrant and of a beautiful orange yellow tint, produce the famous saffron used in coloration of certain food and liquors. The cream-colored Crocus, known in Lebanon as ""hirsanneen"", grows abundantly after autumn first rainfalls. Its tubercles are sometimes eaten. Crocus has 3 stamens. This characteristic, among others, allows to differentiate it from meadow saffron which belongs to the Lily Family and has 6 stamens"
"gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. Crocus speciosus Crocus speciosus, with common name Bieberstein's crocus, is a species of flowering plant in the genus ""Crocus"" of the family Iridaceae. The plant is native to northern and central Turkey, the Caucasus, northern Iran, Crimea. ""Crocus speciosus"" is a cormous perennial growing to tall. The lilac flowers with paler coloured throats and dark veins appear in autumn (fall). The orange styles are much-divided. As it increases rapidly, this species is suitable for naturalisation in grass. The specific epithet ""speciosus"" means ""showy"". ""Crocus speciosus"" is cultivated as an ornamental plant."
"Crocus sieberi Crocus sieberi, Sieber's crocus, also referred to as the Cretan crocus or snow crocus (as is ""Crocus chrysanthus""), is a plant of the ""Crocus"" genus in the Iridaceae family. A small, early blooming crocus, it easily naturalises, and is marked by a brilliant orange which is mostly confined to the stamens and style, fading through the bottom third of the tepal. It grows wild generally in the Balkans and Greece, especially in the island Crete. There are four subtypes: ""sieberi"" (Crete), ""atticus"" (Attica area around Athens), ""nivalis"" and ""sublimis"". Its cultivars are used as ornamental plants. Height: ."
"Crocus speciosus Crocus speciosus, with common name Bieberstein's crocus, is a species of flowering plant in the genus ""Crocus"" of the family Iridaceae. The plant is native to northern and central Turkey, the Caucasus, northern Iran, Crimea. ""Crocus speciosus"" is a cormous perennial growing to tall. The lilac flowers with paler coloured throats and dark veins appear in autumn (fall). The orange styles are much-divided. As it increases rapidly, this species is suitable for naturalisation in grass. The specific epithet ""speciosus"" means ""showy"". ""Crocus speciosus"" is cultivated as an ornamental plant. The plant species, and the white cultivar 'Albus', have"
"Examples: The species and the cultivars marked have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. Crocus sieberi Crocus sieberi, Sieber's crocus, also referred to as the Cretan crocus or snow crocus (as is ""Crocus chrysanthus""), is a plant of the ""Crocus"" genus in the Iridaceae family. A small, early blooming crocus, it easily naturalises, and is marked by a brilliant orange which is mostly confined to the stamens and style, fading through the bottom third of the tepal. It grows wild generally in the Balkans and Greece, especially in the island Crete. There are four subtypes: ""sieberi"" (Crete),"
"purple), ‘Queen of Blues’ (Ageratum-blue with paler margins and a dark base), ‘Remembrance’ (dark blue and purple), ‘Vanguard’ (silvery blue/violet, light purple), Silver Coral (White, purple base), Grand Maitre (blue) Several other spring blooming species, among others ""Crocus flavus"" Weston (Syn. ""Crocus aureus""), have been called 'Crocus vernus' by other authors. Crocus vernus Crocus vernus (Spring Crocus, Giant Crocus) is a species in Family Iridaceae, native to the Alps, the Pyrenees, and the Balkans. Its cultivars and those of ""Crocus flavus"" (Dutch Crocus) are used as ornamental plants. The Dutch Crocusses are larger than the other cultivated crocus species (e.g.,"
"rather than yellow. This plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. Crocus corsicus Crocus corsicus is a species of flowering plant in the genus ""Crocus"" of the family Iridaceae, endemic to the Islands of Corsica and Sardinia. It is a cormous perennial growing to tall. The fragrant slender flowers, one or two per plant, are bright lilac pink on the inside, pale pink with dark purple feathering on the outside of the tepals. The flowers appear in spring. ""Crocus minimus"" also grows on Corsica and Sardinia and looks very similar, however, it can be distinguished quickly"
"Crocus biflorus Crocus biflorus, the silvery 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 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. According to the taxonomic classification proposed by Brian Mathew in 1982, ""C. biflorus"" falls within the series ""Biflori"" of the section ""Nudiscapus"" within"
"ornamental plants. The subspecies ""C. flavus"" subsp. ""flavus"" has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. Examples: 'Golden Yellow' (syn. 'Dutch Yellow', 'Yellow Mammoth') Crocus flavus Crocus flavus, known as yellow crocus or Dutch yellow crocus, is a species of flowering plant of the ""Crocus"" genus in the Iridaceae family. It grows wild on the slopes of Greece, former Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Romania and northwestern Turkey, with fragrant bright orange-yellow flowers which Tennyson likened to a fire. It is a small crocus (, despite the names of some cultivars, compared to the Giant Dutch crocuses (""C. vernus""). Its cultivars"
"that of Apollon and Hyacinthus, and may indeed be a variation thereof. In his translation of Nonnos' ""Dionysiaca"", W.H.D. Rouse describes the tale of Crocus as being from the late Classical period and little-known. Crocus (mythology) In Classical mythology, Crocus () was a mortal youth who, because he was unhappy with his love affair with the nymph Smilax, was turned by the gods into a plant bearing his name, the crocus (saffron). Smilax is believed to have been given a similar fate and transformed into bindweed. In another variation of the myth, Crocus was said to be a companion of"
"Crocus corsicus Crocus corsicus is a species of flowering plant in the genus ""Crocus"" of the family Iridaceae, endemic to the Islands of Corsica and Sardinia. It is a cormous perennial growing to tall. The fragrant slender flowers, one or two per plant, are bright lilac pink on the inside, pale pink with dark purple feathering on the outside of the tepals. The flowers appear in spring. ""Crocus minimus"" also grows on Corsica and Sardinia and looks very similar, however, it can be distinguished quickly by the colour of the stigma, which in the case of ""C. corsicus"" is reddish-orange,"
"the genus ""Crocus"". However, modern DNA analysis is challenging whether the series ""Biflori"" can be separated from the ""Reticulati"" and ""Speciosi"" series. At least 21 subspecies of ""C. biflorus"" have been named; furthermore numerous cultivars have been raised for garden use. The cultivar 'Blue Pearl' has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. Crocus biflorus Crocus biflorus, the silvery 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"
"saffron. The best-known Hellenic saffron legend is that of Crocus and Smilax: The handsome youth Crocus sets out in pursuit of the nymph Smilax in the woods near Athens; in a brief dallying interlude of idyllic love, Smilax is flattered by his amorous advances, but all too soon tires of his attentions. He continues his pursuit; she resists. She bewitches Crocus: he is transformed—into a saffron crocus. Its radiant orange stigmas were held as a relict glow of an undying and unrequited passion. The tragedy and the spice would be recalled later: For the ancient Mediterraneans, saffron gathered around the"
"gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. Crocus banaticus Crocus banaticus, syn. ""C. iridiflorus"", is a species of flowering plant belonging to the Iridaceae family, native to the Balkans, particularly in Serbia, Romania and south western Ukraine. It creates its own subgenus in the Crocus subfamily known as ""Crociris"". It is a cormous perennial growing to . Flowers, usually violet but also white, appear in autumn (fall). The small inner tepals are surrounded by three larger tepals, unlike the more symmetrical crocus species found outside of the subfamily. The flowers are followed by grass-like leaves, lacking the silver"
"whole genus or to many of its species; they refer to the ""naked"" crocus-like flowers that appear in late summer or autumn, long before the strap-like foliage which appears in spring. ""Colchicum"" and ""Crocus"" look alike and can be confused by the casual observer. To add to the confusion, there are autumn-flowering species of crocus. However, colchicums have 3 styles and 6 stamens, while crocuses have 1 style and 3 stamens. In addition, the corm structures are quite different—in colchicum, the corm is irregular, while in crocuses, the corm is like a flattened ball. ""Crocus"" is in the Iris Family,"
"Depending on the size of harvested stigmas, 50,000–75,000 ""Crocus sativus"" plants are needed to produce about 1 pound of saffron; each flower only produces three stigmas. Stigmas should be harvested mid-morning when the flowers are fully opened. The saffron crocus (""Crocus sativus"") should not be confused with ""meadow"" saffron or autumn crocus (""Colchicum autumnale"") which is poisonous. Crocus sativus Crocus sativus, commonly known as saffron crocus, or autumn crocus, is a species of flowering plant of the ""Crocus"" genus in the Iridaceae family. It is best known for producing the spice saffron from the filaments that grow inside the flower."
"Crocus banaticus Crocus banaticus, syn. ""C. iridiflorus"", is a species of flowering plant belonging to the Iridaceae family, native to the Balkans, particularly in Serbia, Romania and south western Ukraine. It creates its own subgenus in the Crocus subfamily known as ""Crociris"". It is a cormous perennial growing to . Flowers, usually violet but also white, appear in autumn (fall). The small inner tepals are surrounded by three larger tepals, unlike the more symmetrical crocus species found outside of the subfamily. The flowers are followed by grass-like leaves, lacking the silver stripe normally associated with the genus. ""Crocus banaticus"" has"
"the bulbs from the frost. The flower season begins with the flowering of crocuses in March, followed at the end of March by the combined flowering of tulips, narcissus (also known as daffodils) and hyacinths, which extends into early May. In the autumn, a further display occurs when gladioli, dahlias, carnations and asters flower. These flowers are often grown primarily for the bulb, not the flower. After they have bloomed, the flowers are decapitated. The flower may be used in floral wreaths. In the summer the bulbs are dug out and the plant remains are burned in the fields. The"
"on the market. Bosschaert, working from a preparatory drawing to paint his composed piece spanning the whole of spring, exaggerated the crocus so that it passes for a tulip, but its narrow, grass-like leaves give it away. The cup-shaped, solitary, salverform flower tapers off into a narrow tube. Their colors vary enormously, although lilac, mauve, yellow, and white are predominant. The grass-like, ensiform leaf shows generally a white central stripe along the leaf axis. The leaf margin is entire. A crocus has three stamens, while a similar-looking toxic plant, ""colchicum"", sometimes popularly referred to as ""autumn crocus"", has six stamens."
"Cleistocactus strausii Cleistocactus strausii, commonly known as the silver torch or wooly torch, is a perennial cactus of the family Cactaceae. It is native to high mountain regions of Bolivia and Argentina, above . Its slender, erect, grey-green columns can reach a height of , but are only about across. The columns are formed from around 25 ribs and are densely covered with areoles, supporting four yellow-brown spines up to long and 20 shorter white radials. The cactus prefers free draining soils, strong sunlight, but not high temperatures — in fact it can withstand hard frosts down to -10 °C."
"Crocus cartwrightianus Crocus cartwrightianus is a species of flowering plant in the family Iridaceae, native to Greece and Crete. It is a cormous perennial growing to . The flowers, in shades of lilac or white with purple veins and prominent red stigmas, appear with the leaves in autumn and winter. The Latin specific epithet ""cartwrightianus"" refers to the 19th century British Consul to Constantinople, John Cartwright. ""C. cartwrightianus"" is the presumed wild progenitor of the domesticated triploid ""Crocus sativus"" – the saffron crocus. It probably appeared first in Crete. An origin in Western or Central Asia, although often suspected, has"
"the smaller of the cultivated species. It has slender flowers about long, with white perianth tubes, petals (6) pale silvery lilac to reddish purple, while the outer petals may be overlaid with silver and darker tips. A variant, ""C. tommasinianus"" f. ""albus"", is white. Its cultivars are used as ornamental plants. Height: It naturalises easily earning an official recognition as a weed. It is often planted in large drifts in gardens and parks. This plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. Examples: Crocus tommasinianus Crocus tommasinianus, the woodland crocus, early crocus, or Tommasini's crocus, often referred"
"Crocus vernus Crocus vernus (Spring Crocus, Giant Crocus) is a species in Family Iridaceae, native to the Alps, the Pyrenees, and the Balkans. Its cultivars and those of ""Crocus flavus"" (Dutch Crocus) are used as ornamental plants. The Dutch Crocusses are larger than the other cultivated crocus species (e.g., ""Crocus chrysanthus""). Depending on the year, ""Crocus vernus"" starts flowering about the same time or up to 2 weeks after ""Crocus chrysanthus"" (Snow Crocus) starts flowering. Height: 4–6"" (10–15 cm). Examples: ‘Flower Record’ (Blue), ‘Jeanne d’Arc’ (Glistening white with an interior, dark purple base), ‘Pickwick’ (violet mauve, striped), ‘Purpurea Grandiflora’ (deep"
"emblem. The ""broomscod"", or seed-pod, was the personal emblem of Charles VI of France. Cytisus scoparius Cytisus scoparius, the common broom or Scotch broom, syn. ""Sarothamnus scoparius"", is a perennial leguminous shrub native to western and central Europe. In Britain and Ireland, the standard name is broom, but this name is also used for other members of the Genisteae tribe, such as French broom or Spanish broom, and the term common broom is sometimes used for clarification. In other English-speaking countries, the most prevalent common name is Scotch broom (or Scot's broom); It is known as English broom in Australia."
"Height: . The Latin specific epithet ""chrysanthus"" means ""golden-flowered"". ""Crocus chrysanthus"" cultivars are selections from ""Crocus chrysanthus"" and hybrids of this species with several subspecies of ""Crocus biflorus"" and ""Crocus aerius"". Yellow cultivars are selections of ""Crocus chrysanthus"". Blue and white cultivars are hybrids or selections close to ""Crocus biflorus"". An intensive selection and hybridisation programme was initiated by Jan Hoog (Van Tubergen nursery) and E.A. Bowles. Several of their numerous selections are still available. Examples: ""C. chrysanthus"" and those cultivars marked have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. Crocus chrysanthus Crocus chrysanthus (snow crocus, golden crocus)"
"Corm A corm, bulbo-tuber, or bulbotuber is a short, vertical, swollen underground plant stem that serves as a storage organ that some plants use to survive winter or other adverse conditions such as summer drought and heat (perennation). The word ""cormous"" usually means plants that grow from corms, parallel to the terms ""tuberous"" and ""bulbous"" to describe plants growing from tubers and bulbs. A corm consists of one or more internodes with at least one growing point, generally with protective leaves modified into skins or tunics. The tunic of a corm forms from dead petiole sheaths—remnants of leaves produced in"
"plants in the next season. The compact corms are small, brown globules that can measure as large as in diameter, have a flat base, and are shrouded in a dense mat of parallel fibres; this coat is referred to as the ""corm tunic"". Corms also bear vertical fibres, thin and net-like, that grow up to above the plant's neck. The plant sprouts 5–11 white and non-photosynthetic leaves known as cataphylls. These membrane-like structures cover and protect the crocus's 5 to 11 true leaves as they bud and develop. The latter are thin, straight, and blade-like green foliage leaves, which are"
"Crocin Crocin is a carotenoid chemical compound that is found in the flowers crocus and gardenia. Crocin is the chemical primarily responsible for the color of saffron. Chemically, crocin is the diester formed from the disaccharide gentiobiose and the dicarboxylic acid crocetin. When isolated as a pure chemical compound, it has a deep red color and forms crystals with a melting point of 186 °C. When dissolved in water, it forms an orange solution. The term ""crocins"" may also refer to members of a series of related hydrophilic carotenoids that are either monoglycosyl or diglycosyl polyene esters of crocetin. The"