Crocus ochroleucus

Perennial. Tubercle small, proliferous, surrounded with membranous brown tunics. Leaves 4-6, appearing together with flowers, strongly canaliculate, 1.5–2 mm wide. Basal spathe often surrounding numerous scapes. Floral spathe diphyllous, partly enclosing a long tube. Perianth 2–3 cm ; tepals elliptical-ovate, cream-white, yellow and bearded at base. Anthers whitish, longer than filament. Stigmas orange.

October–December.

Rocky places, light soils.

Lower and middle mountains, South, Hermon.

The cream-white color of this crocus is at origin of specific name ochroleucus, which is derived from the Greek ôchros , yellow, and leukos, white. The Latin name Crocus, and the Greek name krokos which gave it birth, were used by ancients to designate the peculiar species with violet flowers: Crocus sativus, whose large stigmas, highly fragrant and of a beautiful orange yellow tint, produce the famous saffron used in coloration of certain food and liquors. The cream-colored Crocus, known in Lebanon as hirsanneen, grows abundantly after autumn first rainfalls. Its tubercles are sometimes eaten. Crocus has 3 stamens. This characteristic, among others, allows to differentiate it from meadow saffron which belongs to the Lily Family and has 6 stamens[1]

• Georges Tohme& Henriette Tohme, IIIustrated Flora of Lebanon, National Council For Scientific Research, Second Edition 2014.