Crocus
Crocus (English plural: crocuses or croci) is a genus of flowering plants in the iris family comprising 90 species of perennials growing from corms. Many are cultivated for their flowers appearing in autumn, winter, or spring. The spice saffron is obtained from the stigmas of Crocus sativus, an autumn-blooming species. Crocuses are native to woodland, scrub, and meadows from sea level to alpine tundra in North Africa and the Middle East, central and southern Europe, in particular Krokos, Greece,[2] on the islands of the Aegean, and across Central Asia to Xinjiang Province in western China.
Etymology
The name of the genus is derived from the Greek κρόκος (krokos).[5] This, in turn, is probably a loan word from a Semitic language, related to Hebrew כרכום karkōm, Aramaic ܟܟܘܪܟܟܡܡܐ kurkama, and Arabic كركم kurkum, which mean "saffron" (Crocus sativus), "saffron yellow" or turmeric (see Curcuma).[6] The word ultimately traces back to the Sanskrit kunkumam (कुङ्कुमं) for "saffron".[7] The English name is a learned 16th-century adoption from the Latin, but Old English already had croh "saffron".[8]
History
Cultivation and harvesting of Crocus sativus for saffron was first documented in the Mediterranean, notably on the island of Crete. Frescos showing them are found at the Knossos site on Crete,[9] as well as from the comparably aged Akrotiri site on Santorini.
The first crocus seen in the Netherlands, where crocus species are not native, were from corms brought back in the 1560s from Constantinople by the Holy Roman Emperor's ambassador to the Sublime Porte, Ogier Ghiselin de Busbecq. A few corms were forwarded to Carolus Clusius at the botanical garden in Leiden. By 1620, the approximate date of Ambrosius Bosschaert's painting (illustration, below), new garden varieties had been developed, such as the cream-colored crocus feathered with bronze at the base of the bouquet, similar to varieties still on the market. Bosschaert, working from a preparatory drawing to paint his composed piece spanning the whole of spring, exaggerated the crocus so that it passes for a tulip, but its narrow, grass-like leaves give it away.
Description
The cup-shaped, solitary, salverform flower tapers off into a narrow tube. Their colors vary enormously, although lilac, mauve, yellow, and white are predominant. The grass-like, ensiform leaf[10] shows generally a white central stripe along the leaf axis. The leaf margin is entire.
A crocus has three stamens, while a similar-looking toxic plant, Colchicum, sometimes popularly referred to as "autumn crocus", has six stamens. In addition, crocus have one style, while Colchicum have three.[11]
Distribution
Crocuses are distributed across central and southern Europe, North Africa, Middle East, and Central Asia to western China.
Species
The taxonomic classification proposed by Brian Mathew in 1982 was based mainly on three character states:
•the presence or absence of a prophyll (a basal spathe);
•the aspect of the style;
•the corm tunic.
The seven species discovered since then have been integrated into this classification.[12]
Molecular analysis carried out at the University of Copenhagen suggests this classification should be reviewed. In particular, the DNA data suggest there are no grounds for isolating C. banaticus in its own subgenus Crociris, though it is a unique species in the genus. Because it has a prophyll at the base of the pedicel, it therefore would fall within section Crocus, although its exact relationship to the rest of the subgenus remains unclear.
Another anomalous species, C. baytopiorum, should now be placed in a series of its own, series Baytopi. C. gargaricus subsp. herbertii has been raised to species status, as C. herbertii. Perhaps most surprisingly, autumn-flowering C. longiflorus, the type species of series Longiflori (long regarded by Mathew as "a disparate assemblage"), now seems to lie within series Verni. In addition, the position of C. malyi is currently unclear.
DNA analysis and morphological studies suggest further that series Reticulati, Biflori and Speciosi are "probably inseparable". C. adanensis and C. caspius should probably be removed from Biflori; C. adanensis falls in a clade with C. paschei as a sister group to the species of series Flavi; C. caspius appears to be sister to the species of series Orientales.
The study shows "no support for a system of sections as currently defined", although, despite the many inconsistencies between Mathew's 1982 classification and the current hypothesis, "the main assignment of species to the sections and series of that system is actually supported". The authors state, "further studies are required before any firm decisions about a hierarchical system of classification can be considered" and conclude "future re-classification is likely to involve all infrageneric levels, subgenera, sections and series".[13]
Below is the classification proposed by Brian Mathew in 1982, adapted in accordance with the above findings:
A. Section Crocus : species with a basal prophyll
Series Verni: corms with reticulated fibers, spring-flowering (apart from Crocus longiflorus), flowers for the most part without conspicuous outer striping, bracts absent
•Crocus etruscus Parl.
•Crocus ilvensis Peruzzi & Carta[14]
•Crocus kosaninii Pulevic
•Crocus longiflorus Raf. – Italian crocus (formerly in Series Longiflori)[13]
•Crocus tommasinianus Herb. – Woodland crocus, Tommasini's crocus
•Crocus vernus (L.) Hill – Spring crocus, Dutch crocus
oCrocus vernus subsp. albiflorus (Kit. ex Schult.) Asch. & Graebn.
oCrocus vernus subsp. vernus
Series Baytopi (new Series): corms with strongly reticulated fibers; leaves numerous, narrowly linear; spring-flowering, bracts absent; anthers extrorsely dehiscent[13]
•Crocus baytopiorum Mathew (formerly in Series Verni)[13]
Series Scardici: spring-flowering, leaves have no pale stripe on the upper surface
•Crocus pelistericus Pulevic
•Crocus scardicus Kos.
Series Versicolores: spring-flowering, corms with tunics, which for the most part have parallel fibers, flowers with conspicuous exterior striping
•Crocus cambessedesii J. Gay
•Crocus versicolor Ker Gawl. – cloth-of-silver crocus
•Crocus corsicus Vanucchi ex Maw
•Crocus imperati Ten.
oCrocus imperati subsp. imperati
oCrocus imperati subsp. suaveolens (Bertol.) B.Mathew
•Crocus minimus DC.
Series Longiflori: autumn-flowering, yellow anthers, styles much divided
•Crocus goulimyi Turrill (see also Constantine Goulimis)
•Crocus ligusticus M.G. Mariotti (Syn. Crocus medius Balb.)
•Crocus niveus Bowles
•Crocus nudiflorus Smith.
•Crocus serotinus Salisb. – late crocus
oCrocus serotinus subsp. clusii (J.Gay) B.Mathew
oCrocus serotinus subsp. salzmannii (J.Gay) B.Mathew
oCrocus serotinus subsp. serotinus
Series Kotschyani: autumn-flowering, anthers white, styles for the most part three-forked
•Crocus autranii Albov.
•Crocus gilanicus B. Matthew (discovered in 1973 and named after Gilan province in Iran where it was first found)
•Crocus karduchorum Kotschy ex Maw
•Crocus kotschyanus K. Koch – Kotschy's crocus (syn. C. zonatus)
oCrocus kotschyanus subsp. cappadocicus B.Mathew
oCrocus kotschyanus subsp. hakkariensis B.Mathew
oCrocus kotschyanus subsp. kotschyanus
oCrocus kotschyanus subsp. suworowianus (K.Koch) B.Mathew
•Crocus ochroleucus Boiss. & Gaill.
•Crocus scharojanii Ruprecht
oCrocus scharojanii subsp. scharojanii
oCrocus scharojanii subsp. lazicus (Boiss.) B.Mathew
•Crocus vallicola Herb.
Series Crocus: autumn-flowering, anthers yellow, style distinctly three-branched
•Crocus asumaniae B. Mathew & T. Baytop
•Crocus cartwrightianus Herb.
oCrocus sativus L. – saffron crocus (a sterile triploid mutant or hybrid), presumably derived from Crocus cartwrightianus
•Crocus hadriaticus Herb.
oCrocus hadriaticus subsp. hadriaticus
oCrocus hadriaticus subsp. parnassicus (B.Mathew) B.Mathew
oCrocus hadriaticus subsp. parnonicus B.Mathew
•Crocus moabiticus Bornm. & Dinsmore ex Bornm.
•Crocus mathewii H. Kemdorff & E. Pasche (1994)
•Crocus naqabensis Al-Eisawi (2001)
•Crocus oreocreticus B.L. Burtt
•Crocus pallasii Goldb.
oCrocus pallasii subsp. dispathaceus (Bowles) B.Mathew
oCrocus pallasii subsp. haussknechtii (Boiss. & Reut. ex Maw) B.Mathew
oCrocus pallasii subsp. pallasii
oCrocus pallasii subsp. turcicus B.Mathew
•Crocus thomasii Ten.
Position unclear[13]
•Crocus malyi Vis. (formerly in Series Versicolores)
•Crocus banaticus Heuff. (formerly in obsolete Subgenus Crociris)
B. Section Nudiscapus: species without a basal prophyll
Series Reticulati: corm tunic for the most part decidedly covered with reticulated fibers, flower produced in winter or spring, style three-forked or much divided
•Crocus abantensis T.Baytop & B.Mathew
•Crocus ancyrensis (Herb.) Maw – Ankara crocus
•Crocus angustifolius Weston – cloth-of-gold crocus
•Crocus cancellatus Herb.
oCrocus cancellatus subsp. cancellatus
oCrocus cancellatus subsp. damascenus (Herb.) B.Mathew
oCrocus cancellatus subsp. lycius B.Mathew
oCrocus cancellatus subsp. mazziaricus (Herb.) B.Mathew
oCrocus cancellatus subsp. pamphylicus B.Mathew
•Crocus cvijicii Kos.
•Crocus dalmaticus Vis.
•Crocus gargaricus Herb.
•Crocus herbertii B. Mathew (became a "true" species)[13]
•Crocus hermoneus Kotschy ex Maw
•Crocus jablanicensis N. Randj. & V. Randj.
•Crocus reticulatus Steven ex Adams
oCrocus reticulatus subsp. hittiticus (T.Baytop & B.Mathew) B.Mathew
oCrocus reticulatus subsp. reticulatus
•Crocus robertianus C.D. Brickell
•Crocus rujanensis Randjel. & D.A. Hill (1990)
•Crocus sieberi J. Gay – Sieber's crocus, Cretan crocus
oCrocus sieberi subsp. atticus (Boiss. & Orph.) B.Mathew
oCrocus sieberi subsp. nivalis (Bory & Chaub.) B.Mathew
oCrocus sieberi subsp. sieberi
oCrocus sieberi subsp. sublimis (Herb.) B.Mathew
•Crocus sieheanus Barr ex B.L. Burtt
•Crocus veluchensis Herb.
Series Biflori: tunics of corms split into rings at the base, either entire or with toothlike projections, leathery in texture, spring- or late-winter flowering, style three-forked
•Crocus aerius Herb.
•Crocus almehensis C.D. Brickell & B. Mathew
•Crocus biflorus Mill. – silvery crocus, Scotch crocus
oCrocus biflorus subsp. biflorus
oCrocus biflorus subsp. adamii (J.Gay) K.Richt.
oCrocus biflorus subsp. alexandri (Nicic ex Velen.) B. Mathew
oCrocus biflorus subsp. artvinensis (J.Philippow) B. Mathew
oCrocus biflorus subsp. atrospermus Kernd. & Pasche
oCrocus biflorus subsp. caelestis Kernd. & Pasche
oCrocus biflorus subsp. caricus Kernd. & Pasche
oCrocus biflorus subsp. crewei (Hook.f.) B. Mathew
oCrocus biflorus subsp. fibroannulatus Kernd. & Pasche
oCrocus biflorus subsp. ionopharynx Kernd. & Pasche
oCrocus biflorus subsp. isauricus (Siehe ex Bowles) B.Mathew
oCrocus biflorus subsp. leucostylosus Kernd. & Pasche
oCrocus biflorus subsp. melantherus B. Mathew
oCrocus biflorus subsp. nubigena (Herb.) B. Mathew
oCrocus biflorus subsp. pseudonubigena B. Mathew
oCrocus biflorus subsp. pulchricolor (Herb.) B. Mathew
oCrocus biflorus subsp. punctatus B.Mathew
oCrocus biflorus subsp. stridii (Papan. & Zacharof) B.Mathew
oCrocus biflorus subsp. tauri (Maw) B. Mathew
oCrocus biflorus subsp. weldenii (Hoppe & Fuernr.) B. Mathew
oCrocus biflorus subsp. yataganensis Kernd. & Pasche
•Crocus chrysanthus Herb. – Golden crocus, Snow crocus
oCrocus chrysanthus subsp. chrysanthus
oCrocus chrysanthus subsp. multifolius Papan. & Zacharof
•Crocus cyprius Boiss. & Kotschy
•Crocus danfordiae Maw
oCrocus danfordiae subsp. danfordiae
oCrocus danfordiae subsp. kurdistanicus Maroofi & Assadi
•Crocus hartmannianus Holmboe
•Crocus kerndorffiorum Pasche (1993)
•Crocus leichtlinii (Dewar) Bowles
•Crocus nerimaniae Yüzbasioglu & Varol (2004)
•Crocus pestalozzae Boiss.
•Crocus wattiorum (B. Mathew, 1995) B. Mathew (2000)
•Crocus demirizianus O.Erol & L.Can (2012)
•Crocus yakarianus Yıldırım & O.Erol (2013)
Series Speciosi: corm tunic splits into rings at the base, leathery or membranous, foliage after the flowers, autumn-flowering, style much divided
•Crocus pulchellus Herb. – hairy crocus
•Crocus speciosus M. Bieb. – Bieberstein's crocus, large purple crocus
oCrocus speciosus subsp. ilgazensis B.Mathew
oCrocus speciosus subsp. speciosus
oCrocus speciosus subsp. xantholaimos B.Mathew
Series Orientales: corm with parallel fibers or lightly reticulated, numerous leaves, spring-flowering, style three-forked
•Crocus alatavicus Semenova & Reg.
•Crocus caspius Fischer & Meyer (formerly in Series Biflori)
•Crocus korolkowii Regel ex Maw – celandine crocus
•Crocus michelsonii B. Fedtsch.
Series Flavi: tunics of the corms membranous, split into parallel fibers, spring-flowering, styles much divided
•Crocus adanensis T. Baytop & B. Mathew (formerly in Series Biflori)
•Crocus antalyensis Mathew
oCrocus antalyensis subsp. antalyensis
oCrocus antalyensis subsp. striatus O.Erol & M.Koçyiğit (2010)
oCrocus antalyensis subsp. gemicii L.Sik & O.Erol (2011)
•Crocus candidus E.D. Clarke
•Crocus flavus Weston – Yellow crocus
oCrocus flavus subsp. flavus
oCrocus flavus subsp. dissectus T.Baytop & B.Mathew
oCrocus flavus subsp. sarichinarensis Rukšans
•Crocus graveolens Boiss. &Reut.
•Crocus hyemalis Boiss.
•Crocus olivieri Gray
oCrocus olivieri subsp. olivieri – Balkan and Turkey
oCrocus olivieri subsp. balansae (J.Gay ex Baker) B. Mathew – endemic round İzmir, West-Turkey
oCrocus olivieri subsp. istanbulensis B. Mathew, Istanbul, Turkey.
•Crocus paschei H. Kerndorff
•Crocus vitellinus Wahl.
Series Aleppici: tunics of the corms membranous, with split, parallel fibers, foliage produced at the same time as the flowers, fall- or winter-flowering
•Crocus aleppicus Baker
•Crocus boulosii Greuter
•Crocus veneris Tappein ex Poech
Series Carpetani: undersurface of the leaves rounded with grooves, upper surface channeled, spring-flowering, style whitish, obscurely divided
•Crocus carpetanus Boiss. & Reut.
•Crocus nevadensis Amo & Campo
Series Intertexti: corm tunic fibrous with fibers interwoven, spring-flowering
•Crocus fleischeri J.Gay.
Series Laevigatae: corm tunic membranous or splitting into parallel fibers, sometimes leathery, foliage produced at the same time as flowers, autumn-flowering, anthers white, style much divided
•Crocus boryi J.Gay
•Crocus laevigatus Bory & Chaub.
•Crocus tournefortii J.Gay.
Crocus
Crocus (English plural: crocuses or croci) is a genus of flowering plants in the iris family comprising 90 species of perennials growing from corms. Many are cultivated for their flowers appearing in autumn, winter, or spring. The spice saffron is obtained from the stigmas of Crocus sativus, an autumn-blooming species. Crocuses are native to woodland, scrub, and meadows from sea level to alpine tundra in North Africa and the Middle East, central and southern Europe, in particular Krokos, Greece,[2] on the islands of the Aegean, and across Central Asia to Xinjiang Province in western China.
Etymology
The name of the genus is derived from the Greek κρόκος (krokos).[5] This, in turn, is probably a loan word from a Semitic language, related to Hebrew כרכום karkōm, Aramaic ܟܟܘܪܟܟܡܡܐ kurkama, and Arabic كركم kurkum, which mean "saffron" (Crocus sativus), "saffron yellow" or turmeric (see Curcuma).[6] The word ultimately traces back to the Sanskrit kunkumam (कुङ्कुमं) for "saffron".[7] The English name is a learned 16th-century adoption from the Latin, but Old English already had croh "saffron".[8]
History
Cultivation and harvesting of Crocus sativus for saffron was first documented in the Mediterranean, notably on the island of Crete. Frescos showing them are found at the Knossos site on Crete,[9] as well as from the comparably aged Akrotiri site on Santorini.
The first crocus seen in the Netherlands, where crocus species are not native, were from corms brought back in the 1560s from Constantinople by the Holy Roman Emperor's ambassador to the Sublime Porte, Ogier Ghiselin de Busbecq. A few corms were forwarded to Carolus Clusius at the botanical garden in Leiden. By 1620, the approximate date of Ambrosius Bosschaert's painting (illustration, below), new garden varieties had been developed, such as the cream-colored crocus feathered with bronze at the base of the bouquet, similar to varieties still on the market. Bosschaert, working from a preparatory drawing to paint his composed piece spanning the whole of spring, exaggerated the crocus so that it passes for a tulip, but its narrow, grass-like leaves give it away.
Description
The cup-shaped, solitary, salverform flower tapers off into a narrow tube. Their colors vary enormously, although lilac, mauve, yellow, and white are predominant. The grass-like, ensiform leaf[10] shows generally a white central stripe along the leaf axis. The leaf margin is entire.
A crocus has three stamens, while a similar-looking toxic plant, Colchicum, sometimes popularly referred to as "autumn crocus", has six stamens. In addition, crocus have one style, while Colchicum have three.[11]
Distribution
Crocuses are distributed across central and southern Europe, North Africa, Middle East, and Central Asia to western China.
Species
The taxonomic classification proposed by Brian Mathew in 1982 was based mainly on three character states:
•the presence or absence of a prophyll (a basal spathe);
•the aspect of the style;
•the corm tunic.
The seven species discovered since then have been integrated into this classification.[12]
Molecular analysis carried out at the University of Copenhagen suggests this classification should be reviewed. In particular, the DNA data suggest there are no grounds for isolating C. banaticus in its own subgenus Crociris, though it is a unique species in the genus. Because it has a prophyll at the base of the pedicel, it therefore would fall within section Crocus, although its exact relationship to the rest of the subgenus remains unclear.
Another anomalous species, C. baytopiorum, should now be placed in a series of its own, series Baytopi. C. gargaricus subsp. herbertii has been raised to species status, as C. herbertii. Perhaps most surprisingly, autumn-flowering C. longiflorus, the type species of series Longiflori (long regarded by Mathew as "a disparate assemblage"), now seems to lie within series Verni. In addition, the position of C. malyi is currently unclear.
DNA analysis and morphological studies suggest further that series Reticulati, Biflori and Speciosi are "probably inseparable". C. adanensis and C. caspius should probably be removed from Biflori; C. adanensis falls in a clade with C. paschei as a sister group to the species of series Flavi; C. caspius appears to be sister to the species of series Orientales.
The study shows "no support for a system of sections as currently defined", although, despite the many inconsistencies between Mathew's 1982 classification and the current hypothesis, "the main assignment of species to the sections and series of that system is actually supported". The authors state, "further studies are required before any firm decisions about a hierarchical system of classification can be considered" and conclude "future re-classification is likely to involve all infrageneric levels, subgenera, sections and series".[13]
Below is the classification proposed by Brian Mathew in 1982, adapted in accordance with the above findings:
A. Section Crocus : species with a basal prophyll
Series Verni: corms with reticulated fibers, spring-flowering (apart from Crocus longiflorus), flowers for the most part without conspicuous outer striping, bracts absent
•Crocus etruscus Parl.
•Crocus ilvensis Peruzzi & Carta[14]
•Crocus kosaninii Pulevic
•Crocus longiflorus Raf. – Italian crocus (formerly in Series Longiflori)[13]
•Crocus tommasinianus Herb. – Woodland crocus, Tommasini's crocus
•Crocus vernus (L.) Hill – Spring crocus, Dutch crocus
oCrocus vernus subsp. albiflorus (Kit. ex Schult.) Asch. & Graebn.
oCrocus vernus subsp. vernus
Series Baytopi (new Series): corms with strongly reticulated fibers; leaves numerous, narrowly linear; spring-flowering, bracts absent; anthers extrorsely dehiscent[13]
•Crocus baytopiorum Mathew (formerly in Series Verni)[13]
Series Scardici: spring-flowering, leaves have no pale stripe on the upper surface
•Crocus pelistericus Pulevic
•Crocus scardicus Kos.
Series Versicolores: spring-flowering, corms with tunics, which for the most part have parallel fibers, flowers with conspicuous exterior striping
•Crocus cambessedesii J. Gay
•Crocus versicolor Ker Gawl. – cloth-of-silver crocus
•Crocus corsicus Vanucchi ex Maw
•Crocus imperati Ten.
oCrocus imperati subsp. imperati
oCrocus imperati subsp. suaveolens (Bertol.) B.Mathew
•Crocus minimus DC.
Series Longiflori: autumn-flowering, yellow anthers, styles much divided
•Crocus goulimyi Turrill (see also Constantine Goulimis)
•Crocus ligusticus M.G. Mariotti (Syn. Crocus medius Balb.)
•Crocus niveus Bowles
•Crocus nudiflorus Smith.
•Crocus serotinus Salisb. – late crocus
oCrocus serotinus subsp. clusii (J.Gay) B.Mathew
oCrocus serotinus subsp. salzmannii (J.Gay) B.Mathew
oCrocus serotinus subsp. serotinus
Series Kotschyani: autumn-flowering, anthers white, styles for the most part three-forked
•Crocus autranii Albov.
•Crocus gilanicus B. Matthew (discovered in 1973 and named after Gilan province in Iran where it was first found)
•Crocus karduchorum Kotschy ex Maw
•Crocus kotschyanus K. Koch – Kotschy's crocus (syn. C. zonatus)
oCrocus kotschyanus subsp. cappadocicus B.Mathew
oCrocus kotschyanus subsp. hakkariensis B.Mathew
oCrocus kotschyanus subsp. kotschyanus
oCrocus kotschyanus subsp. suworowianus (K.Koch) B.Mathew
•Crocus ochroleucus Boiss. & Gaill.
•Crocus scharojanii Ruprecht
oCrocus scharojanii subsp. scharojanii
oCrocus scharojanii subsp. lazicus (Boiss.) B.Mathew
•Crocus vallicola Herb.
Series Crocus: autumn-flowering, anthers yellow, style distinctly three-branched
•Crocus asumaniae B. Mathew & T. Baytop
•Crocus cartwrightianus Herb.
oCrocus sativus L. – saffron crocus (a sterile triploid mutant or hybrid), presumably derived from Crocus cartwrightianus
•Crocus hadriaticus Herb.
oCrocus hadriaticus subsp. hadriaticus
oCrocus hadriaticus subsp. parnassicus (B.Mathew) B.Mathew
oCrocus hadriaticus subsp. parnonicus B.Mathew
•Crocus moabiticus Bornm. & Dinsmore ex Bornm.
•Crocus mathewii H. Kemdorff & E. Pasche (1994)
•Crocus naqabensis Al-Eisawi (2001)
•Crocus oreocreticus B.L. Burtt
•Crocus pallasii Goldb.
oCrocus pallasii subsp. dispathaceus (Bowles) B.Mathew
oCrocus pallasii subsp. haussknechtii (Boiss. & Reut. ex Maw) B.Mathew
oCrocus pallasii subsp. pallasii
oCrocus pallasii subsp. turcicus B.Mathew
•Crocus thomasii Ten.
Position unclear[13]
•Crocus malyi Vis. (formerly in Series Versicolores)
•Crocus banaticus Heuff. (formerly in obsolete Subgenus Crociris)
B. Section Nudiscapus: species without a basal prophyll
Series Reticulati: corm tunic for the most part decidedly covered with reticulated fibers, flower produced in winter or spring, style three-forked or much divided
•Crocus abantensis T.Baytop & B.Mathew
•Crocus ancyrensis (Herb.) Maw – Ankara crocus
•Crocus angustifolius Weston – cloth-of-gold crocus
•Crocus cancellatus Herb.
oCrocus cancellatus subsp. cancellatus
oCrocus cancellatus subsp. damascenus (Herb.) B.Mathew
oCrocus cancellatus subsp. lycius B.Mathew
oCrocus cancellatus subsp. mazziaricus (Herb.) B.Mathew
oCrocus cancellatus subsp. pamphylicus B.Mathew
•Crocus cvijicii Kos.
•Crocus dalmaticus Vis.
•Crocus gargaricus Herb.
•Crocus herbertii B. Mathew (became a "true" species)[13]
•Crocus hermoneus Kotschy ex Maw
•Crocus jablanicensis N. Randj. & V. Randj.
•Crocus reticulatus Steven ex Adams
oCrocus reticulatus subsp. hittiticus (T.Baytop & B.Mathew) B.Mathew
oCrocus reticulatus subsp. reticulatus
•Crocus robertianus C.D. Brickell
•Crocus rujanensis Randjel. & D.A. Hill (1990)
•Crocus sieberi J. Gay – Sieber's crocus, Cretan crocus
oCrocus sieberi subsp. atticus (Boiss. & Orph.) B.Mathew
oCrocus sieberi subsp. nivalis (Bory & Chaub.) B.Mathew
oCrocus sieberi subsp. sieberi
oCrocus sieberi subsp. sublimis (Herb.) B.Mathew
•Crocus sieheanus Barr ex B.L. Burtt
•Crocus veluchensis Herb.
Series Biflori: tunics of corms split into rings at the base, either entire or with toothlike projections, leathery in texture, spring- or late-winter flowering, style three-forked
•Crocus aerius Herb.
•Crocus almehensis C.D. Brickell & B. Mathew
•Crocus biflorus Mill. – silvery crocus, Scotch crocus
oCrocus biflorus subsp. biflorus
oCrocus biflorus subsp. adamii (J.Gay) K.Richt.
oCrocus biflorus subsp. alexandri (Nicic ex Velen.) B. Mathew
oCrocus biflorus subsp. artvinensis (J.Philippow) B. Mathew
oCrocus biflorus subsp. atrospermus Kernd. & Pasche
oCrocus biflorus subsp. caelestis Kernd. & Pasche
oCrocus biflorus subsp. caricus Kernd. & Pasche
oCrocus biflorus subsp. crewei (Hook.f.) B. Mathew
oCrocus biflorus subsp. fibroannulatus Kernd. & Pasche
oCrocus biflorus subsp. ionopharynx Kernd. & Pasche
oCrocus biflorus subsp. isauricus (Siehe ex Bowles) B.Mathew
oCrocus biflorus subsp. leucostylosus Kernd. & Pasche
oCrocus biflorus subsp. melantherus B. Mathew
oCrocus biflorus subsp. nubigena (Herb.) B. Mathew
oCrocus biflorus subsp. pseudonubigena B. Mathew
oCrocus biflorus subsp. pulchricolor (Herb.) B. Mathew
oCrocus biflorus subsp. punctatus B.Mathew
oCrocus biflorus subsp. stridii (Papan. & Zacharof) B.Mathew
oCrocus biflorus subsp. tauri (Maw) B. Mathew
oCrocus biflorus subsp. weldenii (Hoppe & Fuernr.) B. Mathew
oCrocus biflorus subsp. yataganensis Kernd. & Pasche
•Crocus chrysanthus Herb. – Golden crocus, Snow crocus
oCrocus chrysanthus subsp. chrysanthus
oCrocus chrysanthus subsp. multifolius Papan. & Zacharof
•Crocus cyprius Boiss. & Kotschy
•Crocus danfordiae Maw
oCrocus danfordiae subsp. danfordiae
oCrocus danfordiae subsp. kurdistanicus Maroofi & Assadi
•Crocus hartmannianus Holmboe
•Crocus kerndorffiorum Pasche (1993)
•Crocus leichtlinii (Dewar) Bowles
•Crocus nerimaniae Yüzbasioglu & Varol (2004)
•Crocus pestalozzae Boiss.
•Crocus wattiorum (B. Mathew, 1995) B. Mathew (2000)
•Crocus demirizianus O.Erol & L.Can (2012)
•Crocus yakarianus Yıldırım & O.Erol (2013)
Series Speciosi: corm tunic splits into rings at the base, leathery or membranous, foliage after the flowers, autumn-flowering, style much divided
•Crocus pulchellus Herb. – hairy crocus
•Crocus speciosus M. Bieb. – Bieberstein's crocus, large purple crocus
oCrocus speciosus subsp. ilgazensis B.Mathew
oCrocus speciosus subsp. speciosus
oCrocus speciosus subsp. xantholaimos B.Mathew
Series Orientales: corm with parallel fibers or lightly reticulated, numerous leaves, spring-flowering, style three-forked
•Crocus alatavicus Semenova & Reg.
•Crocus caspius Fischer & Meyer (formerly in Series Biflori)
•Crocus korolkowii Regel ex Maw – celandine crocus
•Crocus michelsonii B. Fedtsch.
Series Flavi: tunics of the corms membranous, split into parallel fibers, spring-flowering, styles much divided
•Crocus adanensis T. Baytop & B. Mathew (formerly in Series Biflori)
•Crocus antalyensis Mathew
oCrocus antalyensis subsp. antalyensis
oCrocus antalyensis subsp. striatus O.Erol & M.Koçyiğit (2010)
oCrocus antalyensis subsp. gemicii L.Sik & O.Erol (2011)
•Crocus candidus E.D. Clarke
•Crocus flavus Weston – Yellow crocus
oCrocus flavus subsp. flavus
oCrocus flavus subsp. dissectus T.Baytop & B.Mathew
oCrocus flavus subsp. sarichinarensis Rukšans
•Crocus graveolens Boiss. &Reut.
•Crocus hyemalis Boiss.
•Crocus olivieri Gray
oCrocus olivieri subsp. olivieri – Balkan and Turkey
oCrocus olivieri subsp. balansae (J.Gay ex Baker) B. Mathew – endemic round İzmir, West-Turkey
oCrocus olivieri subsp. istanbulensis B. Mathew, Istanbul, Turkey.
•Crocus paschei H. Kerndorff
•Crocus vitellinus Wahl.
Series Aleppici: tunics of the corms membranous, with split, parallel fibers, foliage produced at the same time as the flowers, fall- or winter-flowering
•Crocus aleppicus Baker
•Crocus boulosii Greuter
•Crocus veneris Tappein ex Poech
Series Carpetani: undersurface of the leaves rounded with grooves, upper surface channeled, spring-flowering, style whitish, obscurely divided
•Crocus carpetanus Boiss. & Reut.
•Crocus nevadensis Amo & Campo
Series Intertexti: corm tunic fibrous with fibers interwoven, spring-flowering
•Crocus fleischeri J.Gay.
Series Laevigatae: corm tunic membranous or splitting into parallel fibers, sometimes leathery, foliage produced at the same time as flowers, autumn-flowering, anthers white, style much divided
•Crocus boryi J.Gay
•Crocus laevigatus Bory & Chaub.
•Crocus tournefortii J.Gay.