Crocus

Crocus, or saffron (Crocus) is a genus of perennial corms of the iris or iris family (Iridaceae). Beautiful flowering species are used in decorative floriculture, one of them is a valuable spice.

  • Family: iris.
  • Origin: Europe, Asia.
  • Rhizome: corm.
  • Stem: missing.
  • Leaves: linear basal.
  • Fruit: box.
  • Reproductive ability: propagated by corms and seeds.
  • Illumination: photophilous.
  • Watering: moderate.
  • Content temperature: winter-hardy.
  • Flowering time: 10-18 days in spring or autumn, depending on the species.

Description of crocus

Crocuses (see photo below) are bulbous perennials that naturally grow in meadows, including high mountains, in steppes and sparse forests in the center and south of Europe, the Caucasus, the Crimea, Central Asia, Minor and Central Asia, the Middle East. Some species are endangered and are listed in the Red Book.

Crocus flower in the photo

The scientific name of the culture is saffron, but the Latin name of the flower is common in floricultural literature – crocus. This is a low-growing plant, not higher than 10 cm, with very narrow linear leaves turned down on the sides and bell-funnel-shaped single flowers of various colors, blooming in most species in early spring, in some in autumn.

Beautiful leaves of spring and autumn crocuses

Green, often with whitish central veins, crocus leaves appear directly from the ground, in early spring forms – usually towards the end of flowering, continuing to grow after the flowers wither, in autumn crocuses – simultaneously with buds or even next year, along with fruits.

All species are also characterized by the presence of sheath-shaped leaves, lower ones, which form underground and envelop the young shoot before it appears on the surface, and upper ones, covering flowers in the form of a scaly wrapper.

The plant has no ground stem, it has turned into a short (5-8 cm) leafless peduncle, usually found underground.

Crocus bulbs

Tuberous bulbs of crocuses are small, no more than 3 cm in diameter, flat or spherical in shape, covered with brown or reddish scales. In the lower part, a dense bundle of uriculate roots is formed, in different species, differing in color and structure.

The corm lives for one year, it is formed in the lower internode of the flowering shoot, during the season, accumulating nutrients for the next year’s flowering. The following year, during the growing season, this storage organ decreases in size, consuming nutrients for growth and flowering, and is replaced by a new bulb in the spring.

Description of a crocus flower with a photo

Crocus flowers appear from the bulb one by one or 2-3, have a large corolla-shaped perianth with segments fused into a long tube, reaching 10 cm in some species, which, in the actual absence of a stem, performs its function, bringing the flower to the surface.

The tube consists of six lobes, folded in the upper part, the diameter of a fully opened flower of some species and varieties reaches 7-8 cm.

Buds bloom only in clear, sunny weather. There are natural species with yellow (from light yellow to orange) or blue (from pale blue to deep purple) flowers, albino white-flowered forms are often found. Cultivars are more diverse in color, can be not only monochromatic, but also two-color, with spots and a contrasting pattern.

Photos of crocus flowers of some species are presented below:

Spring crocus flower in the photo

Caspian crocus flower in the photo

Crocus sharoyana flower in the photo

The structure of the reproductive organs of the plant is interesting. During flowering, the ovary is underground, the stamens are shorter than the perianth, attached to its pharynx, the filiform columns have three branches, which also branch in turn, and the stigmas are at the edge of the terminal branches. It is in the stigmas that a special glycoside, picromycin, is contained, which determines the coloring and aromatic properties of saffron. The flower is pollinated by insects, but nature has also provided for a self-pollination mechanism, because due to the early spring or autumn flowering time, crocus often falls into adverse weather conditions. At the same time, saffron seed cultivated for the purpose of obtaining spices is completely sterile, since, obviously, it was obtained by hybridization of several species.

The fruit, a three-celled capsule, is formed underground, carried up by an elongated perianth tube only after full ripening and opens already on the surface, scattering small angular seeds.

The history of the use of the crocus flower in culture

The Latin name of the culture, crocus, comes from the word kroke, which is translated from Greek as a thread and, obviously, is associated with the presence of long thread-like pistils. The word “saffron” in Arabic means “yellow”, and reflects another valuable quality of the flower, namely the presence of a dye in the pistils, which has been used for many centuries as a natural, including food coloring.

Crocus has long been widely used in culture, valued not only as an ornamental, but mainly as a food plant, as well as a source of bright yellow paint. The beneficial qualities of a flower have been known to mankind for many millennia. Saffron paint existed already in the Neolithic era, i.e. 7000 BC e., its traces are found in the rock paintings of that time. A spice called saffron is obtained from one type of autumn crocuses, saffron seed, it is considered one of the most ancient on earth, but today it is also very popular and extremely expensive. In this capacity, the ancient Sumerians began to use the flower for the first time, they also own the first written records of the culture, found in the dated 3000 BC. e Sumerian cuneiform. The description of crocus is found in Egyptian papyri, created more than 1500 years BC, the Egyptians used it for embalming and for various diseases. Saffron was grown in ancient Greece, Alexander the Great and his warriors were treated with a flower in their many
numbered trips. It was considered healing in ancient China, and was widely used as an incense and medicine in ancient Rome.

Culture came to Europe in the X-XIII centuries, during the Crusades, and soon became a flower of luxury, personifying wealth and high position. The crocus symbol adorned the coats of arms of royal dynasties, in particular, the Bourbons.

The crocus symbol adorned the coats of arms of royal dynasties, in particular, the Bourbons.

Currently, saffron as a spice is cultivated on an industrial scale in Iran, India, Spain, France, England, Georgia. Its high cost is due to the fact that only crocus stigmas are used as raw materials; to obtain 1 kg of spice, it is necessary to process about 300,000 flowers. One plantation yields only 6 kg of dried stigmas in the first year, and about 20 kg the next year. To get a quality product, saffron is harvested at dawn, before the buds open, 3 stigmas are carefully plucked from each flower, dried and packaged. All operations, as in ancient times, are carried out by hand, so it is not surprising that the cost of spices on the market ranges from $460-470 (Iranian saffron) to $900-950 (Spanish product) per 1 kg. Such a high price has always given rise to many fakes, which were severely punished in the Middle Ages. There have been attempts to synthesize substances with a similar taste and aroma artificially, but so far no one has been able to do this.

Despite the high cost, the spice is quite affordable nowadays, since it is added to food in a very small amount, one gram is enough to cook several huge pilaf cauldrons. An overdose gives the products a bitter taste, moreover, too high a dose can be unsafe for health. The latter must be borne in mind when treating with saffron, here it is especially important to strictly adhere to the recommendations of specialists.

Currently, as a dye, the culture is used in the food industry, it is used to tint yellow cheeses, butter, and various drinks.

The decorative qualities of crocuses are also highly valued in modern floriculture. Numerous spring-flowering species are grown in gardens; they look great in group plantings in flower beds, in borders and discounts.

Early crocuses on alpine hills are especially spectacular. Flowers are also cultivated in rooms, they are easy to distill.

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