ΦΥΤΑ ΤΗΣ ΚΡΗΤΗΣ:Crocus (Crocus oreocreticus)

Crocuses are beautiful dwarf plants in which a single terminal flower develops on the end of a tube, with the true stem remaining below ground until the seeds ripen (2). The cup-shaped flowers have six petals in two overlaying sets of three, with the outer set often slightly larger (2). This species produces pale purple flowers with darker veins and a silvery exterior to the three outer petals (2) (3). Within the flower, the pollen-bearing anthers are a conspicuous yellow and the long style divides into three bright red or deep orange branches (2) (3). C. oreocreticus is closely related to C. cartwrightianus, and it has been argued that its small differences may not justify separate species status (3). Besides being found at higher altitudes, C. oreocreticus can most easily be distinguished from C. cartwrightianus by the silvery-white sheen to its exterior (3).