Zafferano d’Imperato (Crocus imperati)
The crocus is endemic to Italy and in Campania it grows in the province of Salerno, it is present up to 1400 meters above sea level. Its ideal habitat are forests and Mediterranean areas.
It is a genus of plants belonging to the family of monocots spermatophytes Iridaceae.
The family of the Iridaceae includes a fairly homogeneous group of plants with eighty genera and about 1000-1500 species (the number depends on the various classifications) while the Crocus genus includes about 80 species of which thirty are cultivated and 15 are present in the Italian spontaneous flora.
The purple flowers are odorless and are shorter than the leaves. Typical of this plant is the brownish-purple streak of white at the outer petals. The center of the flower is a magnificent yellow, it is surprisingly beautiful.
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Notes
Pignatti S. - Flora d'Italia (3 voll.) - Edagricole - 1982
Tutin, T.G. et al. - Flora Europaea, second edition - 1993
Zangheri P. - Flora Italica (2 voll.) - Cedam - 1976