Crocus vernus

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Monocots
Ordo: Asparagales

Familia: Iridaceae
Subfamilia: Crocoideae
Tribus: Croceae
Genus: Crocus
Sectio: C. sect. Crocus
Serie: C. ser. Verni
Species: Crocus vernus
Name

Crocus vernus (L.) Hill, Veg. Syst. 10: 1. 1765.
Synonyms

Basionym
Crocus sativus var. vernus L., Sp. Pl. 36. 1753.
Lectotype (designated by Peruzzi et al. 2013: 1038): [Switzerland, Ticino] In Gothardo Rhaetorum, Burser Herbarium (III: 64, UPS)
Homotypic
Ixia vernalis (L.) Salisb., Prodr. Stirp. Chap. Allerton: 33. 1796, nom. superfl..
Heterotypic
Crocus caeruleus Weston, Bot. Univ. 2: 237. 1771.
Crocus rubens Weston, Bot. Univ. 2: 237. 1771.
Crocus albiflorus Kit. ex Schult., Oestr. Fl., ed. 2, 1: 101. 1814.
Crocus acutiflorus Seidl, Naturalientausch 9: 123. 1825.
Crocus vernus var. parviflorus J.Gay, Bull. Sci. Nat. Géol. 11: 371. 1827.
Crocus vernus var. albiflorus (Kit. ex Schult.) Herb., Bot. Mag. 67: t. 3874. 1841.
Crocus vernus subsp. albiflorus (Kit. ex Schult.) Ces. in C.Cattaneo, Not. Nat. Civ. Lombardia: 315. 1844.
Crocus vernus subvar. albiflorus (Kit. ex Schult.) Herb., J. Hort. Soc. London 2: 271. 1847.
Crocus montenegrinus A.Kern. ex Maw, Gard. Chron., n.s., 16: 368. 1881.
Crocus heuffelianus subsp. albiflorus (Kit. ex Schult.) Nyman, Consp. Fl. Eur.: 708. 1882.
Crocus vernus var. acutiflorus (Seidl) Nyman, Consp. Fl. Eur.: 708. 1882.
Crocus appendiculatus A.Kern. ex Maw, Crocus: 143. 1886, nom. inval., pro syn.
Crocus montanus Hoppe ex Maw, Crocus: 152. 1886, nom. inval., pro syn.
Crocus vilmae Fiala, Oesterr. Bot. Z. 40: 247. 1890.
Crocus parviflorus (J.Gay) E.H.L.Krause in J.Sturm, Deutschl. Fl. Abbild., ed. 2, 1: 128. 1906, nom. illeg.
Crocus pygmaeus Lojac., Fl. Sicul. 3: 58. 1909.

Distribution
Native distribution areas:

Continental: Europe
Regional: Middle Europe
Austria, Germany, Switzerland.
Regional: Southwestern Europe
France.
Regional: Southeastern Europe
Italy, Yugoslavia.
Continental: Northern America
Regional: Southeastern U.S.A.
Kentucky (intreoduced).

References: Brummitt, R.K. 2001. TDWG – World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions, 2nd Edition
References
Primary references

Hill, J. 1765. Vegetable System 10: 1.

Additional references

Harpke, D., Carta, A., Tomović, G., Randjelović, V., Randjelović, N., Blattner, F. & Peruzzi, L. 2015. Phylogeny, karyotype evolution and taxonomy of Crocus series Verni (Iridaceae). Plant Systematics and Evolution 301(1): 309–325. DOI: 10.1007/s00606-014-1074-0. Paywall Reference page.
Peruzzi, L., Carta, A. & Garbari, F. 2013. Lectotypification of the name Crocus sativus var. vernus L. (Iridaceae) and its consequences within Crocus ser. Verni. Taxon 62(5): 1037–1040. DOI: 10.12705/625.7 Paywall ResearchGate Reference page.
Mathew, B.F. 1982. The Crocus. A revision of the genus Crocus (Iridacae). London: B.T. Batsford Ltd, 127 pp. + 96 plates. ISBN 0-7134-3390-6. Reference page.
Rukšāns, J. 2017. The World of Crocuses. 568 pp. The Latvian Academy of Sciences, Riga. ISBN 978-9934-19-125-1. Reference page.

Links

Govaerts, R. et al. 2020. Crocus vernus in World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2020 Jan 17. Reference page.
USDA, ARS, Germplasm Resources Information Network. Crocus vernus in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. Accessed: 19 Apr 2006.

Vernacular names
български: син минзухар
català: Safrà de muntanya
kaszëbsczi: Zymkòwi szafran
čeština: šafran jarní
Cymraeg: Saffrwm y gwanwyn
dansk: Vår-Krokus
Deutsch: Frühlings-Krokus
English: spring crocus, giant crocus, dutch crocus
eesti: Kevadine krookus
suomi: Kevätsahrami
français: Crocus printanier
hornjoserbsce: Nalětnja barbička
magyar: Kerti sáfrány
հայերեն: քրքում գարնանային
kurdî: Pizîlaqa kûçikan
lietuvių: Pavasarinis krokas
Nederlands: Bonte krokus
polski: Krokus wiosenny, Szafran wiosenny
română: Brândușa de munte
русский: Шафран весенний, Крокус весенний
slovenčina: šafran bielokvetý
slovenščina: spomladansi žafran, pomladanski žafran
svenska: Vårkrokus
中文（简体）: 荷兰番红花
中文（繁體）: 荷蘭番紅花
中文（臺灣）: 荷蘭番紅花
中文: 荷蘭番紅花, 紫番紅花, 春番紅, 荷兰番红花

Crocus vernus (spring crocus, giant crocus) is a species in Family Iridaceae, native to the Alps, the Pyrenees, and the Balkans. Its cultivars and those of Crocus flavus (Dutch crocus) are used as ornamental plants. The Dutch crocuses are larger than the other cultivated crocus species (e.g., Crocus chrysanthus). Depending on the year, Crocus vernus starts flowering about the same time or up to 2 weeks after Crocus chrysanthus (snow crocus) starts flowering. Height: 4–6" (10–15 cm).

Taxonomy

The Latin specific epithet vernus refers to both 'vernal' (spring) and 'crocus'.[1]
Habitat

Within Britain, it can be found in grasslands, including churchyards and roadside verges.[1]
Cultivars

Examples: ‘Flower Record’ (Blue), 'Grand Maitre' (blue), ‘Jeanne d’Arc’ (Glistening white with an interior, dark purple base), ‘Pickwick’ (violet mauve, striped), ‘Purpurea Grandiflora’ (deep purple), ‘Queen of Blues’ (Ageratum-blue with paler margins and a dark base), ‘Remembrance’ (dark blue and purple), 'Silver Coral' (White, purple base), ‘Vanguard’ (silvery blue/violet, light purple)
Synonyms

Several other spring blooming species, among others Crocus flavus Weston (Syn. Crocus aureus), have been called 'Crocus vernus' by other authors.[2]

References

Dr. Peter Jarvis The Pelagic Dictionary of Natural History of the British Isles (2020), p. 686, at Google Books
Crocus vernus synonymy - Flora Europaea