CROCUS, a genus of plants of the family Iridaceae, con taining 6o species, natives of Europe, North Africa, and tem perate Asia, and especially developed in the dry country of south eastern Europe and western and central Asia. The plants are admirably adapted for climates in which a season favourable to growth alternates with a hot or dry season ; during the latter they remain dormant beneath the ground in the form of a short thickened stem protected by the scaly remains of the bases of last season's leaves (known botanically as a "corm"). At the beginning of the new season of growth, new flower- and leaf bearing shoots are developed f roan the corm at the expense of the food-stuff stored within it. New corms are produced at the end of the season, and by these the plant is multiplied.
The crocuses of the flower garden are mostly horticultural varieties of C. vernus, C. versicolor, and C. aureus (Dutch crocus), the two former yielding the white, purple, and striped, and the latter the yellow varieties. The crocus succeeds in any fairly good garden soil and is often planted as a border plant.
