Splendid autumn crocus
| Splendid autumn crocus | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Splendor Autumn Crocus ( Crocus speciosus ) |
||||||||||||
| Systematics | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Crocus speciosus | ||||||||||||
| M.Bieb. |
The superb autumn crocus ( Crocus speciosus ) is a plant from the genus of crocus ( Crocus ).
features
The splendid autumn crocus is a perennial tuber geophyte that reaches heights of 7 to 15 cm. The tuber shell is paper-like and has clear rings at the base.
The 3 or 4 leaves are green, ciliate and 4 to 5 (rarely up to 8) mm wide. The perigone measure 25 to 60 × 8 to 22 mm. They are blue-purple and usually have darker spots, dark main nerves and fine transverse nerves on the outside. They are white to pale yellow at the bottom. The styles have numerous branches and protrude far beyond the stamens. The stamens have yellow anthers (different from Crocus pulchellus ).
The flowering time is in October, it rarely begins in September and lasts until November.
The number of chromosomes is 2n = 14 or 18, less often 6, 8, 10 or 12.
Occurrence
The splendid autumn crocus occurs in north and central Turkey (with the exception of the west), north and west Iran, in the Crimea, in the east Caucasus and in Transcaucasia. The species grows in deciduous and coniferous forests and on grass lawns at altitudes of 800 to 2850 m above sea level. NN.
Systematics
The splendid autumn crocus is closely related to and hybridizes with Crocus pulchellus .
One can distinguish the following subspecies:
- Crocus speciosus subsp. ilgazensis B.Mathew : It occurs in northern Turkey. Some authors also regard it as an independent species: Crocus ilgazensis (B.Mathew) Ruksans .
- Crocus speciosus subsp. speciosus : It occurs from Turkey to northern Iran and the Crimea.
- Crocus speciosus subsp. xantholaimos B.Mathew : She has a yellow throat. It occurs in northern Turkey. It is also viewed by some authors as an independent species: Crocus xantholaimos (B.Mathew) Ruksans .
use
The splendid autumn crocus is widely used as an ornamental plant for rock gardens , borders, groups of trees and lawns. The species has been in culture since around 1835. There are several types (selection):
- 'Aitchisonii': The variety is large and late flowering.
- 'Albus': The flowers are white, the throat is pale yellow.
supporting documents
- Eckehart J. Jäger, Friedrich Ebel, Peter Hanelt, Gerd K. Müller (eds.): Rothmaler excursion flora from Germany. Volume 5: Herbaceous ornamental and useful plants . Spectrum Academic Publishing House, Berlin Heidelberg 2008, ISBN 978-3-8274-0918-8 .
Individual evidence
- ^ Tropicos. [1]
- ↑ a b c d e f Rafaël Govaerts (ed.): Crocus speciosus. In: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP) - The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved July 23, 2018.
