Spring Crocus - Crocus neapolitanus
Favourite Photos
Species Description
Scattered and widespread throughout the UK. Our most commonly grown Crocus. Habitat includes: gardens, parks, allotments, churchyards, meadows, banks etc. Growing habit: Cormous Perennial. Height: Up to 15 cm. Flowers: February to March.
Stace 4:
Crocus neapolitanus (Ker Gawl.) Loisel. (C. purpureus Weston, C. vernus auct. non (L.) Hill) - Spring Crocus.
Corm-covering fibrous; leaves mostly 4-8mm wide; perianth usually pale to deep purple, often strongly more darkly striped outside, sometimes white, with tube not paler than lobes, with white to purple, glabrous to hairy throat; tepal-lobes 26-50 x 9-20mm; perianth-tube 40-96mm; style equalling or exceeding stamens; (2n=8, 10, 12, 16, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23). Neophyte-naturalised; the most commonly grown species, frequently naturalised in grassy places, meadows, banks, churchyards; scattered in Britain, Isle of Man, County Wexford and Channel Islands, but rarely distinguished from C. vernus; Italy.
Key:
- Mature leaves mostly 4-8mm wide; flowers white to deep purple, often with dark stripes outside; perianth-tube usually mauve to purple, white only if rest of perianth is white; stigma branches <5mm
- Style equalling or exceeding stamens; flowers exceptionally white
Useful Links:
NBN (as C. vernus)