DOROTHY HYBRID OF SPRING CROCUS

R. B. Saxena*

ABSTRACT

Crocus hybrid is also known as crocus. Crocus and other little bulb`s grow by the thousands years on Mediterranean hillside and have been there since before written history. Crocus hybrid species are native to woodland, scrub and meadows from sea level to alpine tundra in central and southern Europe, north Africa and middle East, on the island of the Aegean and across central Asia to western China. These hybrid species are highly valuated as ornamental application. Hybrid spring crocuses carpet the ground with blooms in shades of white, purple, yellow and orange. The taxonomy of this genus is rather confused, and misnaming often occurs in the trade, so many of the so-called species in cultivation are actually hybrids of unknown origin. Botany, taxonomy, infra-specific taxa, distribution, ecology, description, chromosome counts and phenology are provided with key to their identification of dorothy hybrid of spring crocus.

Keywords: Crocus, Geographic area, Classification, Cytology, Chromosome, God-gift hybrid of spring crocus.