Photos offering an unique view of nature
By Alan Daugherty
Crocuses, or croci, typically become the first bloom of spring in Indiana. A crocus can emerge from its bulb as white, yellow or a variety of purples or violets, and may contain some orange color. Gardeners often plant them in clumps. Crocus leaves emerge first, appearing as new spring grass. Each contains a pale, almost yellow, stripe up the center. The blooms consist of six petals that close at dusk or when the sky darkens from impending bad weather. They bloom naturally in a single color, but cultivars create striped varieties that become very “showy.” In the center of the blooms of Crocus sativus (commonly called saffron crocus or autumn crocus) grows red stigma that are picked and dried before being sold as the most expensive, by weight, spice of the world. It requires about 60,000 blooms to produce 2 pounds of saffron, which can be worth over $10,000. Saffron production centers in Iran.
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