| Crocus longiflorus | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Iridaceae |
| Genus: | Crocus |
| Species: | C. longiflorus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Crocus longiflorus Raf.
| |
Crocus longiflorus, the long-flowered crocus,[1] is a species of flowering plant in the genus Crocus of the family Iridaceae, found in Southwest Italy, Sicilia, and Malta.[2]
Growing to 10 cm (3.9 in) tall, it is a cormous perennial. It produces pale lilac or purple blooms in autumn, along with the sword-shaped leaves.
In the 19th century, Crocus longiflorus stigmas were harvested from the wild and used for saffron in Sicily.[3]
In cultivation in the UK, this plant is a recipient of the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[1]
- ^ a b "Crocus longiflorus". www.rhs.org. Royal Horticultural Society. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
- ^ Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
- ^ Maw, George (1886). A Monograph of the Genus Crocus. Soho Square, London: Dulau and Co. p. 87. Retrieved 6 April 2024.