Description
(Crocus serotinus subsp. serotinus, if you prefer)
The range of the species encompasses a very small part of Spain, most of Portugal with an unsubstantiated rumour of North Africa. Our stock is a one-off raising from seed traceable to inland forests of Mediterranean Oak close to Roche in S.W. Spain where it grows alongside Acis autumnalis, Dicadi serotinum and other dwarf bulbs in pure, dune sand overlaid by coniferous leaf litter.
Pale to deep lilac flowers, sometimes with darker veining, in autumn. The blooms are beautifully contrasted with a deep orange-red frilled stigma. The corm has a very coarsely netted tunic.
An excellent and dependable species in a well-drained, humus-rich soil, but the type species is rarely seen and often in short supply.
