Content
- The flowers of the crocus - harbinger of spring
- The appearance of the flower
- Fruchtknoten develops underground
- Stamens dangerous for animals
- Tips & Tricks
The stamens of the crocus flower are gifitg for pets
The flowers of the crocus - harbinger of spring
Crocuses are not only appreciated for their great variety of colors. The flowers are very robust and even unfold in the snow. Since the first crocuses develop flowers in February, they are especially popular as harbingers of spring.
The appearance of the flower
The flowers of the crocus stand individually, even if it often looks in the dense sea of flowers as if there were whole balls of flowers.
They consist of a flower tube that ends in several uniform petals. It can grow up to ten inches high. The colors of the flowers vary from pure white to yellows, blues, violet to newer varieties with pink flowers.
Seeds or stamens grow in the interior of the flower, which have predominantly a bright yellow, occasionally also white or dark colors.
Fruchtknoten develops underground
Only when the flowers of the crocus were pollinated by insects, the ovaries push out of the ground. When that happens depends on the crocus species:
The ovaries are capsule fruits with three compartments, in which the seeds of the crocus ripen. These seeds are usually not used for propagation. A self-sowing occurs only in the wild form of crocus.
Stamens dangerous for animals
While the stems of the crocus saffron are used in the kitchen as seasoning and coloring agents, the local crocus stamens are not edible.
In humans, the stamens of the crocus cause only slight abdominal pain. Small animals, on the other hand, can experience severe symptoms of intoxication through the uptake of crocus stamens.
Tips & Tricks
The crocus owes its name to the characteristic flower threads, which usually protrude yellow from the petals. "Krokos" is the Greek word for thread.