Crocus angustifolius
{{Short description|Species of flowering plant}}
{{Speciesbox
|image = 20240218 Crocus angustifolius-5-2.tif
|taxon = Crocus angustifolius
|authority = Weston
| synonyms =
- Crocus revolutus Haw.
- Crocus roegnerianus K.Koch
- Crocus susianus Ker Gawl.
}}
Crocus angustifolius, the cloth-of-gold crocus, is a species of flowering plant in the genus Crocus of the family Iridaceae, native to southern Ukraine and Armenia. It is a cormous perennial growing to {{convert|5|cm|abbr=on}} tall and wide. The narrow grass-like leaves with silver central stripe appear in late winter or early spring. They are followed by bright yellow fragrant flowers with maroon blotches on the outer petals.{{cite book|title=RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants|year=2008|publisher=Dorling Kindersley|location=United Kingdom|isbn=978-1405332965|pages=1136}}
Description
Crocus angustifolius is a herbaceous perennial geophyte growing from a corm. The globose (round but bulging somewhat in the middle) shaped corm has a coarsely reticulated tunic. The flowers are narrow, opening to a funnelform or radiate shape. The golden yellow flowers have glossy red-brown mottling and streaks on the outer surfaces. The flowers bloom while the grass-like leaves are present.{{Cite book|last=Jelitto|first=Leo|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/20012412|title=Hardy herbaceous perennials|date=1990|publisher=Timber Press|others=Wilhelm Schacht, Michael E. Epp, John Philip Baumgardt, Alfred Fessler|isbn=0-88192-159-9|location=Portland, Or.|page=168|oclc=20012412 }}
Habitat
Native to the Crimea where it is found growing on hillsides, in juniper woods, and in areas of scrub; flowering occurs from February to March.{{Cite book|last1=Phillips|first1=Roger|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=o_7wAAAAMAAJ|title=The Random House Book of Bulbs|last2=Rix|first2=Martyn|date=1989|publisher=Random House|isbn=978-0-679-72756-9|page=25}}
==Cultivation==
C. angustifolius is widely cultivated, and has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.{{cite web|title=Crocus angustifolius|url=https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/4837/Crocus-angustifolius/Details|work=Plant Selector|publisher=Royal Horticultural Society|accessdate=9 May 2020}}
The cultivar 'Minor' has smaller, attractive darker flowers and blooms a little later than the species. The leaves are also more upright. It is winter hardy to USDA zone 5.
References
{{Commons category|Crocus angustifolius}}
{{Reflist}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q1503624}}
{{Iridaceae-stub}}