Two-flowered crocus

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Two-flowered crocus
Crocus biflorus 03.jpg

Two-flowered crocus ( Crocus biflorus )

Systematics
Class : Bedecktsamer (Magnoliopsida)
Monocots
Order : Asparagales (Asparagales)
Family : Iris family (Iridaceae)
Genre : Crocuses ( crocus )
Type : Two-flowered crocus
Scientific name
Crocus biflorus
Mill.

The twoflower crocus ( Crocus biflorus ) or Scottish Crocus is a plant from the genus of crocus ( Crocus ).

features

The two-flowered crocus is a perennial tuber geophyte that reaches heights of 5 to 10 centimeters. The tuberous shell is smooth, membranous or leathery and has transverse rings at the base. The 3 to 5 (rarely up to 9) leaves are 2 to 3 millimeters wide. There are 2 bracts and 2 (rarely 1 to 4) flowers . The perigone measure 18 to 30 (to 35) × (4 to) 6 to 12 millimeters and are white to purple. The outer tepals often have 3 to 5 purple veins on the outside.

The flowering period extends from February to March, rarely from October to November.

The number of chromosomes is 2n = 8, 16, 18 or 30.

Occurrence

The two-flowered crocus occurs in Italy, Sicily, the Balkans, Crimea, Turkey, the East Caucasus, Transcaucasia, northwest Iraq and northern Iran. The species grows on open rocky slopes and in alpine lawns.

Systematics

The species is very rich in shape, up to 21 subspecies are distinguished (selection):

  • Crocus biflorus subsp. biflorus : The leaves are 0.5 to 2 millimeters wide. The flowers are lilac blue. The throat and the anthers are yellow. The subspecies occurs in Italy and Sicily.
  • Crocus biflorus subsp. pulchricolor (Herb.) B.Mathew : The flowers are blue-violet, not striped and darker below. The throat is yellow. The subspecies occurs in north-west Turkey at altitudes from 1000 to 2300 meters. It is also viewed by some authors as an independent species: Crocus pulchricolor (Herb.) Herb. ex Tchich.
  • Crocus biflorus subsp. weldenii (Hoppe et Fürnr.) B.Mathew : The flowers are white and sometimes blue at the base. The throat is not yellow. The subspecies occurs in the western Balkans from Istria to northern Albania. Some authors also regard it as an independent species: Crocus weldenii Hoppe & Fürnr.
  • Crocus biflorus subsp. alexandri (Velen.) B.Mathew : The flowers are white. The outside of the outer tepals is purple. The throat is not yellow. The subspecies occurs in southwest Bulgaria and southern Serbia. It is also seen by some authors as an independent species: Crocus alexandri Nicic ex Velen.
  • Crocus biflorus subsp. melantherus (Boiss. et Orph.) B.Mathew : The flowers are white, the outside is darkly striped. The anthers are black-purple before opening. The flowering period extends from October to November. The subspecies occurs in southern Greece. It is also viewed by some authors as an independent species: Crocus melantherus Boiss. & Orph. ex Maw .
  • Crocus biflorus subsp. nubigena ( Herb. ) B.Mathew : The plant reaches heights of growth of 5 to 9 (rarely up to 13) centimeters. The shell of the tuber rips open all around the base and is leathery. The leaves are 0.5 to 1 (rarely up to 1.5) millimeters wide. The flowers are white or purple-blue. The outer bracts have three longitudinal stripes on the outside. The anthers are blackish-brown. The capsule is 10 to 15 millimeters in size. The flowering period extends from February to March (rarely until April). The subspecies occurs in the eastern Aegean . On Karpathos it grows on Phrygana and clay surfaces at altitudes of 1200 meters. Some authors also regard it as a separate species: Crocus nubigena Herb.

use

The two-flowered crocus is widely used as an ornamental plant in borders and rock gardens. The species has been in culture since 1601 at the latest. There are numerous varieties.

supporting documents

literature

  • Eckehart J. Jäger, Friedrich Ebel, Peter Hanelt, Gerd K. Müller (eds.): Excursion flora from Germany . Founded by Werner Rothmaler. tape 5 : Herbaceous ornamental and useful plants . Springer, Spektrum Akademischer Verlag, Berlin / Heidelberg 2008, ISBN 978-3-8274-0918-8 .

Individual evidence

  1. Crocus biflorus , chromosome number at Tropicos.org. Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis
  2. a b c d e Eckehart J. Jäger, Friedrich Ebel, Peter Hanelt, Gerd K. Müller (eds.): Exkursionsflora von Deutschland . Founded by Werner Rothmaler. tape 5 : Herbaceous ornamental and useful plants . Springer, Spektrum Akademischer Verlag, Berlin / Heidelberg 2008, ISBN 978-3-8274-0918-8 .
  3. a b c d e f g Rafaël Govaerts (Ed.): World Checklist of Iridaceae. Crocus . Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Last accessed on July 23, 2018.
  4. Ralf Jahn, Peter Schönfelder: Excursion flora for Crete . With contributions by Alfred Mayer and Martin Scheuerer. Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart (Hohenheim) 1995, ISBN 3-8001-3478-0 .

Web links

Commons : Two-Flowered Crocus  - Collection of images, videos and audio files