PLANT OF THE MONTH – DECEMBER 2024: Crocus cambessedesii J. Gay
Ca: Safrà bord
Es: –
Scientific name: Crocus cambessedesii
Synonyms:
- Crocus minimus subsp. cambessedesii (J. Gay) O. Bolòs, Molin. & P. Monts. in Acta Geobot. Barcinón. 5: 96 (1970)
- Crocus minimus cambessedesii (J. Gay) Knoche in Fl. Balear. 1: 390 (1922)
Crocus cambessedesii, also known as “safrà bord”, is a bulbous plant species endemic to the Balearic Islands. It belongs to the Iridaceae family, like gladioluses, and is from the same genus as saffron (Crocus sativus). True saffron is native to Greece but is cultivated throughout the Mediterranean, especially in the drier regions, with La Mancha being one of the most prestigious and productive areas in the world.
The species cambessedesii, named after the 19th-century French botanist who studied Mediterranean flora, Jacques Cambessèdes, blooms in the fall, usually between October and December, although recently we have continued to find flowers as late as January and even March. The flowers can be completely white, but they are typically lilac or violet in color, and they appear before the leaves. They are characterized by the presence of violet lines on the outside of the outer tepals. The leaves are threadlike, with a whitish line running longitudinally along the front.
In the Botanic Garden, you can still see the blooming in December in bed 5, designated for rupicolous and mountain flora. In the germplasm bank, we keep seeds from the populations of Cala Mesquida and the Marina of Llucmajor, with duplicate samples in the Millennium Seed Bank. In the herbarium, we have preserved specimens of saffron a bordo from many populations in both Menorca and Mallorca, collected by botanists such as Bianor, Bonafè, and others.
Family: Iridaceae
Distribution: Mallorca, Menorca, and Dragonera
IUCN Category: LC (Least Concern)
Phenology: From November to February
Habitat: Rocky and limestone cracks, scrublands, and cliffs relatively close to the sea.
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