Small, but very beautiful and delicate crocus flowers are frequent guests of gardeners' plots. With their flowering, they meet spring and see off autumn.
Instructions
Step 1
The name crocus is a low bulbous plant. Its narrow leaves and tubular flowers grow directly from the corm. There are transparent scales on the underside of the leaves and the stem of the flower. The crocus flower is unisexual, the corolla-shaped perianth is divided into six petals. The color of the perianths is very diverse: golden, white, purple, blue, yellow, two-colored. In the middle of the flower is a stigma with three stamens, which have a bright yellow, orange, red color. The rich color attracts insects that pollinate the flowers.
Step 2
The crocus ovary forms underground, and over time, the plant pushes the ripe fruit to the surface in the form of a triangular box with seeds inside. Here the seeds ripen, and if they are not collected, the perennial grass will sow the seeds into the ground on its own.
Step 3
The unopened crocus flower resembles a tulip. Depending on the variety, it can grow up to 12 cm in length. In the open field, this plant from the iris family blooms in early spring, making its way through the snow along with other primroses, or in the fall, when many plants have already faded. But you can also plant it in a pot and achieve flowering all year round.
Step 4
Crocus grows in Europe, Western and Central Asia. The mass blooming of these plants is an impressive sight, which is why the countries where it is grown use crocus to attract tourists. But the beauty and tenderness of these flowers are not the main values. Crocus has another name - saffron. It is from the flowers of this species, or rather from the crocus sativus variety, that a valuable and expensive spice is obtained. The finished seasoning looks like scraps of red-brown thread. In addition, the bulbs of this plant are also eaten. They can be boiled or baked.
Step 5
The spice extracted from the stigmas and stamens of crocus is also used as a natural dye and in the composition of medicines. In folk medicine, saffron is used as a tonic, analgesic, anticonvulsant. In addition, it is used for colds, as a diaphoretic and expectorant. With a variety of suppurations, saffron accelerates the maturation of abscesses and scarring of tissues. It is believed that saffron has a particularly beneficial effect on women: it reduces pain during menstruation, helps to restore the uterus after childbirth, and improves sexual function.
Step 6
There are many legends about the origin of this flower with numerous beneficial properties. According to Greek myth, Crocus was a friend of the god Mercury. And one day, throwing a disc, Mercury accidentally hit Crocus and killed him. And from drops of Crocus's blood that fell to the ground, these beautiful flowers grew.
