Description
A lovely white species much mangled by taxonomists who seem strangely intent on stuffing this one into a pre-existing botanical pigeonhole. Thus it is varyingly said to resemble, or be, a white form of chrysanthus, biflorus, weldenii or one of several other taxa. I first encountered it 40 years or so ago when Dr John Marr brought corms back which were tentatively identified as “white chrysanthus”
In fact it is a disticnt and valid species and it has a distinct geographical range within Serbia where it does grow not only in pure colonies but also, at times, it grows mixed with chrysanthus or with weldenii . It is distinct, however cursory and superficial examinations of the mixed colonies may be the reason that some suggest they are synonyms.
In cultivation it has proven easy to grow both in the garden and in pots under glass, setting seed well but also increasing nicely too. It makes lovely white flowers, quite late in the spring season for our spring Crocus. The petals are broad and overlapping, providing a perfect background for the 3-fid orange style and sulphur-yellow to chrome-yellow anthers, some of which have dark tips at their base.
