Descriptions and characteristics of the species and the best varieties of crocuses, which are
Various types and varieties of crocuses are grown to decorate garden beds or in flower pots. These delicate, violet-scented flowers appear in early spring. However, there are many varieties that bloom in the fall. In southern countries, crocuses are grown for an expensive spice - saffron powder.
Crocus classification and their features
Crocuses are perennial flowering plants from the Iris family. They grow in southern steppes, mountain meadows, forests. The flower grows wild in the Mediterranean states, Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa. Loves open, sunny places and drained soil.
Crocuses are also called saffron. Everyone knows a yellow spice made from the stigma of this flower. In the old days, this seasoning was worth its weight in gold. In the countries of the East, medicines were made from saffron, used in cooking, for embalming corpses, dyeing clothes yellow. In the 11th century, during the Crusades, saffron was brought to Europe and used as a spice for a long time.
Only in the 16th century decorative crocuses appeared in European gardens. The first garden flowers include Dutch hybrids (Yellow Mammos).
Crocuses are small plants 8-32 centimeters high. Leaves are basal, green, with a longitudinal, light stripe, long and narrow. They emerge from the ground during or after flowering.
The underground part of the crocus is represented by a corm. This is a modified stem, it is round, covered with dry scales, and has numerous roots extending from the bottom. Corms of various types differ in structure and color characteristics. They live only a year. During the growing season, the corm decreases in size, spends all the nutrients for development and flowering. Then it is replaced by a new onion.
Flowers are solitary, more often simple, inside there are stamens and stigmas. Sometimes 2-3 flowers appear from one corm. They look like a glass on a thin stem. The stem is almost invisible, it is very short, hiding under the ground. For the stem, you can take a long perianth with 6 petals at the top, rising from the corm.Inside it there is a threadlike column, divided at the end into three parts - these are bright orange stigmas of saffron.
By color, they are divided into yellow-flowered (yellow, orange) and blue-flowered (lilac, purple). Flowers are snow-white, with a slight pinkish tint. The set fruit is formed underground. After maturation, it is brought to the surface. The fruit is a three-celled capsule with small angular seeds inside. Propagated by corms or seeds.
Crocuses, depending on the species, bloom in early spring or late autumn. Flowering duration is 7-19 days. The buds open in sunny weather.
The dried stigmas of flowers have long been used as a spice. In the modern food industry, a natural yellow dye is made from the stigma of sowing saffron, Alatav, fine, Pallas. Powder is tinted in a yellowish tint cheeses, butter, drinks. One gram of saffron turns 100 liters of water yellow. The plant owes this property to the substance contained in its composition - crocin. Dried flowers are used in perfumery.
Crocuses are grown for industrial needs in Iran, India, Spain, and as an ornamental plant in many countries of the world. The flowers look great in flower garden beds and in indoor pots. Used to create compositions in floristry.
More than 80 types of saffron are known. There are 19 varieties growing in Russia. Crocus classification has changed frequently. Since 1886, they have been divided into 2 subgenera - with leaf-wrapped flowers (Involucrati) and bare-leaved flowers (Nudiflori). The modern classification is based on Brian Matthew's scheme. Crocuses are of 2 subgenera - Crocus and Crociris. In the genus Crociris, there is only one type of saffron (Banat). The subgenus Crocus has 2 sections and 15 species. The types differ in the structure of the corms.
Crocus classification:
- Crocus:
- Crocus (sowing, Pallas, Cartwright, Otran, Kardukhor, Kochi, Sharoyana, valley, Gulimi, long-colored, medium, late, Etruscan, Thomasini, spring, Corsican, smallest);
- Nudiscapus (Crimean, Caspian, golden, yellow, Fleischer, Alatavsky, Korolkov, Michelson, Ankara, narrow-leaved, Dalmatian, Sieber).
- Crociris: Banat.
Saffron grown in Spain comes in two varieties: Coupe and Superior. From the first variety, a more valuable seasoning is obtained, since the upper particles of the stigmas are used to make it. In the second variety, the color and aroma are weaker, since the powder is made from a whole stigma of saffron. In Spain, crocuses are dried in fiery ovens. The cost of 1 kilogram of Spanish spice is $ 900.
Kashmiri Indian saffron seasoning is made using a different technology. The collected boxes are dried in hot sunlight. For spices, take whole stigmas of saffron. They are discarded with water. Drowned stigmas are of the highest grade, and those that emerge are of the lowest.
However, more than 80 percent of the spice marketed comes from Iran. Iranian saffron is not very expensive. True, the spices from Iran have the strongest coloring effect. The powder is made from young saffron stigma. The cost of 1 kilogram of spice is $ 470.
You can find false saffron in stores. This is Imeretian, made not from crocuses, but from marigolds. This spice comes from Georgia. False saffron also includes Alatavian, made from Alatavian Crocus, a spice from Uzbekistan.
Gardening
To decorate garden flower beds, planting material of various types and varieties is bought. Crocuses are grown mainly from corms. Saffron Sowing has soft lilac flowers. This plant can bloom in autumn and has a violet scent.
Crocus Beautiful has flowers of a delicate lilac color.Large flowers open in September and bloom for almost a month. The autumn varieties include a cornflower-blue shade of Cassiopeia crocus, lilac Artabir, snow-white Albus, amethyst Pallux, pale purple Pallas. Crocuses with blue and snow-white flowers bloom more often in autumn. Less often in the autumn garden you can see Sharoyan's saffron, with bright yellow petals. In August, Dolinny saffron blooms with snow-white flowers.
In spring, spring saffron with yellow, pink or bright red petals appear on flower beds. For example, botanical small-flowered. In April, the golden crocus blooms with yellowish flowers. Spring hybrids include purple-colored Dutch hybrids, pale blue Blue pearls, lemon Princess Beatrix, snow-white White Triumphant, plum Violet Queen, lilac-white Lady killer.
Room
Crocuses look great in indoor pots. Delicate flowers of these plants, depending on the species, will appear in spring or autumn. For home cultivation, corms of large-flowered Dutch hybrids are usually bought. The following varieties belong to the spring ones: blue Vangart, purple Remembrance, snow-white Jeanne d'Arc. In autumn, pale blue Artabir, purple Sollux, and snow-white Albus bloom. In one pot, you can plant only spring or only autumn bulbs.
Main groups and varieties
There are over 80 types of crocuses. Most of them bloom in the spring. True, there is a huge variety of flowers blooming exclusively in autumn. Each type of saffron comes in many varieties.
Dutch hybrids
These are popular and quite numerous crocuses. Dutch hybrids are grown in garden plots and in indoor pots. They have large flowers. The color of the petals is lilac, pale purple, snow-white or striped. The flowers grow up to 11 centimeters in height. Crocuses Spring, Yellow, Narrow-leaved are considered the ancestors of Dutch hybrids.
Chrysanthus group
This variety has a slightly smaller flower size than the Dutch hybrids. The founders of the group were the Zolotisty and Two-flowered crocus. The varieties of this variety have yellow, purple, snow-white and blue flowers.
Autumn flowering plant species
The famous Crocus Sowing belongs to those blooming in autumn. From the stigma of this plant, an expensive spice is made - saffron. The varieties blooming in the fall came from Crocus Posevnoy, Fine, Pallas, Sharoyan, Banatsky. Popular varieties: Oksinan, Albus, Artabir.
Large-flowered or spring-flowering crocuses
In spring, Dutch hybrids and varieties, obtained on the basis of Adamas, Tomasini, Spring, Narrow-leaved, Golden, Two-flowered, Crimean crocus, usually bloom.
Crocus varieties and colors are popular
In garden plots, Dutch hybrids are usually grown. Such varieties are undemanding to the soil, they perfectly adapt to any weather. Gardeners prefer to buy Dutch corms, as they have good and beautiful large flowers, the best varietal characteristics.
Lilac, light purple Thomas
This is a tiny plant with beautiful pale purple flowers. Blooms in early spring. Loves sunlight very much.
Sieber
Small spring flower with original tricolor color. The middle is yellow, sharply turning into a white stripe, at the end the petals are pale lilac. Notable varieties: snow-white Bovlez White, tricolor Tricolor and Violet Queen.
Korolkova
A tiny plant with orange flowers. The petals are painted wine-colored outside from the bottom. Height - 6-15 centimeters. Blooms in spring.
Crocus Wangart and Flower record
Dutch hybrids based on Spring saffron.They have huge goblet-shaped flowers. Height - 14-25 centimeters. Long leaves appear after flowering. Plants of this species have yellow, lilac, snow-white, scarlet, purple flowers. Popular varieties: Vangart, Yeloy Mammoth, Remembrans.
Violet queen - purple flowers
A beautiful purple flower with a golden yellow throat. Blooms in spring. This large-flowered variety is derived from Golden-flowered saffron.
Hubert Edelitern - purple with white and yellow stripes
Small spring plant with large flowers. The color of the petals is lilac or striped (with purple or yellowish lines on a white background). Crocuses bloom in spring.
Cream Beauty - cream flowers
Delicate cream flowers. The variety originated from Golden-flowered saffron. Flowers bloom in April.
Blue Pearl - white with a slight blueness
Tall plant with flowers up to 8-10 centimeters. Crocus blooms in March, along with snowdrops. The flowers are pale blue, with a yellow center.
White Albus
Snow-white flowers of this variety appear in September. The plant is 11-18 centimeters tall with a delicate aroma. The variety is bred on the basis of saffron Fine.
Oxonian with dark blue buds
A short flower 15 centimeters long. Blossoms in autumn. It originates from the saffron of the Beautiful. Oksonian has beautiful dark blue flowers.
Valikola - cream flowers
A small but surprisingly beautiful flowering plant that blooms in autumn. Has delicate creamy flowers and a light violet scent.
Yellow crocus
Golden flowers appear in early spring. This beautiful saffron blooms in cool weather, almost at the very surface of the earth, even without leaves. Flowers - yellowish, 6-petaled.
Saffron tomasini
This flower is also called Neapolitan. Spring primrose with delicate lilac flowers. It dissolves at the very beginning of April. Wild forms are found in the Balkans, Hungary, Bulgaria. Plant height - 7-8 centimeters. The diameters of the flowers are 3-4 centimeters.
Pink-lilac Harlem (Harlem) Jam
A beautiful spring saffron variety with pink-lilac flowers. This small plant has small delicate flowers with 6 petals. Blooms in spring, along with snowdrops. Purple flowers on a thin high stem and long threads of green leaves with a light stripe in the middle appear from underground. Crocuses bloom for several days.
