crocus
Crocus L.
A genus overview; characteristics vary between its species.
Crocus flowers rise close to the ground from a perennial underground corm. The genus includes both spring-flowering and autumn-flowering species. In the former Soviet region’s ornamental flora, violet-flowered C. heuffelianus illustrates the spring group, while orange-flowered C. scharojanii belongs to the autumn group. Flora of China via World Flora Online: CrocusOrnamental Plants from Russia and Adjacent States: Crocus
Botanical name
Kew accepts Crocus L. as a genus in Iridaceae; the catalog’s genus rank is retained. Kew POWO: Crocus
Recognizing the plant
Flora of China describes small herbs with flattened, rounded corms wrapped in a tunic. Narrow leaves arise at the base, commonly marked by a pale stripe along their upper surface. The flower tube is long and slender, with the ovary and flower stalk remaining below ground at flowering. Above it, the floral segments spread in white, yellow, lilac or purple, depending on the species. A slender style divides near its tip, and the eventual fruit is a small capsule. Flora of China via World Flora Online: Crocus
Native range
Kew places the genus’s native range from the Mediterranean east to Xinjiang. It encompasses southern Europe, North Africa, the Caucasus and Central Asia, with numerous local species across that broad region. Kew POWO: Crocus
Botanical sources
- Kew POWO: Crocus
- Flora of China via World Flora Online: Crocus
- Ornamental Plants from Russia and Adjacent States: Crocus
Reviewed 2026-10-11. Seasonal development varies with location and growing conditions.