This list of Crocus species shows the accepted species names within the genus Crocus, which are predominantly spring perennial plants in the Iridaceae (iris) family. The list of species is arranged by section. Estimates of the number of species in Crocus have varied widely, from anywhere between 80 and 160, even in the modern era.

Carl Linnaeus originally included two species in 1753, but new species continue to be identified. The deep phylogenetic infrageneric relationships remain unresolved. When subjected to molecular phylogenetic analysis, the sections are well supported but only some of the series. Ongoing, more detailed examination of the various series is leading to a recircumscription, with increasing monophyly. Species segregate to form a basal polytomy of four subclades (A–D). The first clade (A) corresponding to section Crocus, but including C. sieberi and several closely related species (originally included in section Nudiscapus series Reticulati). The remaining three clades (B-D) include all the remaining species of section Nudiscapus. Of these, B and C are small, corresponding to series Orientales and Carpetani respectively, with all remaining series in the large D clade.

Sections, series and species

Classification of Brian Mathew (1982), amended 2009 and including more recent additions. Series marked with * indicate those known to be monophyletic.

Section Crocus B.Mathew (Clade A)

Species with a basal prophyll. Type species C. sativus L.

*Series Verni B.Mathew

Type species C. vernus (L.) Hill: corms with reticulated fibers, spring-flowering (apart from Crocus longiflorus), flowers for the most part without conspicuous outer striping, bracts absent Crocus bertiscensis Raca, Harpke, Shuka & V. Randjel. Crocus etruscus Parl. Crocus heuffelianus Herb. Crocus ilvensis Peruzzi & Carta Crocus kosaninii Pulevic Crocus longiflorus Raf. – Italian crocus (formerly in Series Longiflori) Crocus neapolitanus (Ker Gawl.) Loisel. Crocus neglectus Peruzzi and Carta Crocus siculus Tineo ex Guss. Crocus tommasinianus Herb. – Woodland crocus, Tommasini's crocus Crocus vernus (L.) Hill (=C. sativus var. vernus L.; C. vernus sensu stricto ) – Spring crocus, Dutch crocus

*Series Baytopi B.Mathew

(new Series) Type species Crocus baytopiorum: corms with strongly reticulated fibers; leaves numerous, narrowly linear; spring-flowering, bracts absent; anthers extrorsely dehiscent Crocus baytopiorum Mathew (formerly in Series Verni)

*Series Scardici B.Mathew

Type species Crocus scardicus: spring-flowering, leaves have no pale stripe on the upper surface Crocus pelistericus Pulevic Crocus scardicus Kos.

Series Versicolores B.Mathew

Type species Crocus versicolor: : spring-flowering, corms with tunics, which for the most part have parallel fibers, flowers with conspicuous exterior striping Crocus cambessedesii J. Gay Crocus versicolor Ker Gawl. – cloth-of-silver crocus Crocus corsicus Vanucchi ex Maw Crocus imperati Ten. Crocus imperati subsp. imperati Crocus imperati subsp. suaveolens (Bertol.) B.Mathew Crocus minimus DC.

*Series Kotschyani B.Mathew

Type species Crocus kotschyanus: : autumn-flowering, anthers white, styles for the most part three-forked Crocus autranii Albov. Crocus gilanicus B. Matthew (discovered in 1973 and named after Gilan province in Iran where it was first found) Crocus karduchorum Kotschy ex Maw Crocus kotschyanus K. Koch – Kotschy's crocus (syn. C. zonatus) Crocus kotschyanus subsp. cappadocicus B.Mathew Crocus kotschyanus subsp. hakkariensis B.Mathew Crocus kotschyanus subsp. kotschyanus Crocus kotschyanus subsp. suworowianus (K.Koch) B.Mathew Crocus ochroleucus Boiss. & Gaill. Crocus scharojanii Ruprecht Crocus scharojanii subsp. scharojanii Crocus scharojanii subsp. lazicus (Boiss.) B.Mathew Crocus vallicola Herb.

*Series Crocus

Type species Crocus sativus: autumn-flowering, anthers yellow, style distinctly three-branched Crocus asumaniae B. Mathew & T. Baytop Crocus cartwrightianus Herb. Crocus sativus L. – saffron crocus (a sterile triploid mutant or hybrid), presumably derived from Crocus cartwrightianus Crocus dispathaceus (Bowles) B.Mathew Crocus hadriaticus Herb. Crocus hadriaticus subsp. hadriaticus Crocus hadriaticus subsp. parnassicus (B.Mathew) B.Mathew Crocus hadriaticus subsp. parnonicus B.Mathew Crocus moabiticus Bornm. & Dinsmore ex Bornm. Crocus mathewii H. Kemdorff & E. Pasche (1994) Crocus naqabensis Al-Eisawi (2001) Crocus oreocreticus B.L. Burtt Crocus pallasii Goldb. Crocus pallasii subsp. haussknechtii (Boiss. & Reut. ex Maw) B.Mathew Crocus pallasii subsp. pallasii Crocus pallasii subsp. turcicus B.Mathew Crocus thomasii Ten.

Position unclear

Following 2009 revision of Mathew 1982. Crocus malyi Vis. (formerly in Series Versicolores) Crocus banaticus Heuff. (formerly in obsolete Subgenus Crociris) Former Series Longiflori B.Mathew Type species C. longiflorus Raf.: autumn-flowering, yellow anthers, styles much divided – now unplaced, and type species moved to series Verni Crocus goulimyi Turrill (see also Constantine Goulimis) Crocus ligusticus M.G. Mariotti (Syn. Crocus medius Balb.) Crocus niveus Bowles Crocus nudiflorus Smith. Crocus serotinus Salisb. – late crocus Crocus serotinus subsp. clusii (J.Gay) B.Mathew Crocus serotinus subsp. salzmannii (J.Gay) B.Mathew Crocus serotinus subsp. serotinus

Crocus sieberi aggregate

Crocus cvijicii Kos. Crocus dalmaticus Vis. Crocus jablanicensis N. Randj. & V. Randj. Crocus novicii V.Randjel. & Miljkovic Crocus robertianus C.D. Brickell Crocus rujanensis Randjel. & D.A. Hill Crocus sieberi J.Gay – Sieber's crocus, Cretan crocus Crocus sieberi subsp. atticus (Boiss. & Orph.) B.Mathew Crocus sieberi subsp. nivalis (Bory & Chaub.) B.Mathew Crocus sieberi subsp. sieberi Crocus sieberi subsp. sublimis (Herb.) B.Mathew Crocus veluchensis Herb.

Section Nudiscapus B.Mathew

Species without a basal prophyll. Type species C. reticulatus Stev. ex Adams

Crocus lydius Kernd. & Pasche (unplaced)

*Series Orientales B.Mathew (Clade B)

Type species Crocus korolkowii: Corm with parallel fibers or lightly reticulated, numerous leaves, spring-flowering, style three-forked Crocus alatavicus Semenova & Reg. Crocus caspius Fischer & Meyer (formerly in Series Biflori) Crocus korolkowii Regel ex Maw – celandine crocus Crocus michelsonii B. Fedtsch.

*Series Carpetani B.Mathew (Clade C)

Type species Crocus carpetanus: Undersurface of the leaves rounded with grooves, upper surface channeled, spring-flowering, style whitish, obscurely divided Crocus carpetanus Boiss. & Reut. Crocus nevadensis Amo & Campo

*Series Reticulati B.Mathew (Clade D)

Type species Crocus reticulatus: Spring-flowering, a bracteole, trifid styles, and reticulate corm tunics (Series Reticulati s.s. Harpke et al.)

Series Reticulati s.s.

Crocus ancyrensis (Herb.) Maw syn. Crocus reticulatus var. ancyrensis Herb. – Ankara crocus Crocus angustifolius Weston – cloth-of-gold crocus Crocus danubensis Kerndorff, Pasche, N.Randjelovic & V.Randjelovic Crocus filis-maculatis Kerndorff & Pasche Crocus micranthus Boiss. Crocus orphei Karamplianis & Constantin. Crocus reticulatus Steven ex Weber & Mohr Crocus variegatus Hoppe & Hornsch.

Former members of Series Reticulati s.l. (unplaced)

Crocus abantensis T.Baytop & B.Mathew Crocus cancellatus Herb. Crocus cancellatus subsp. cancellatus Crocus cancellatus subsp. damascenus (Herb.) B.Mathew Crocus cancellatus subsp. lycius B.Mathew Crocus cancellatus subsp. mazziaricus (Herb.) B.Mathew Crocus cancellatus subsp. pamphylicus B.Mathew Crocus gargaricus Herb. Crocus herbertii B. athew Crocus hermoneus Kotschy ex Maw Crocus hittiticus T.Baytop & B.Mathew syn. Crocus reticulatus subsp. hittiticus (T.Baytop & B.Mathew) B.Mathew Crocus sieheanus Barr ex B.L. Burtt

Series Biflori B.Mathew (Clade D)

Type species Crocus biflorus: Tunics of corms split into rings at the base, either entire or with toothlike projections, leathery in texture, spring- or late-winter flowering, style three-forked Crocus adamii Gay syn. Crocus biflorus subsp. adamii (J.Gay) Mathew Crocus aerius Herb. Crocus albocoronatus (Kernd.) Kernd., Pasche & Harpke syn. C. biflorus subsp. albocoronatus Kerndorff Crocus alexandri Nicic ex Velen. syn. Crocus biflorus subsp. alexandri (Nicic ex Velen.) B.Mathew Crocus almehensis C.D. Brickell & B. Mathew Crocus artvinensis (J.Philippow) Gossheim syn. Crocus biflorus subsp. artvinensis (J.Philippow) B.Mathew Crocus bifloriformis Kernd. & Pasche syn. Crocus biflorus subsp. biflorus B.Mathew Crocus biflorus Mill. – silvery crocus, Scotch crocus Crocus caelestis (Kernd.) Kernd., Pasche & Harpke syn. Crocus biflorus subsp. caelestis Kernd. & Pasche Crocus chrysanthus Herb. – Golden crocus, Snow crocus Crocus chrysanthus subsp. chrysanthus Crocus chrysanthus subsp. multifolius Papan. & Zacharof Crocus crewei Hooker syn. Crocus biflorus subsp. crewei (Hook.f.) B.Mathew Crocus cyprius Boiss. & Kotschy Crocus danfordiae Maw Crocus danfordiae subsp. danfordiae Crocus danfordiae subsp. kurdistanicus Maroofi & Assadi Crocus fibroannulatus (Kernd.) Kernd., Pasche & Harpke syn. Crocus biflorus subsp. fibroannulatus Kernd. & Pasche Crocus hartmannianus Holmboe Crocus ionopharynx (Kernd.) Kernd., Pasche & Harpke syn. Crocus biflorus subsp. ionopharynx Kernd. & Pasche Crocus kerndorffiorum Pasche (1993) Crocus leichtlinii (Dewar) Bowles Crocus leucostylosus (Kernd.) Kernd., Pasche & Harpke syn. Crocus biflorus subsp. leucostylosus Kernd. & Pasche Crocus melantherus (Kernd.) Kernd., Pasche & Harpke syn. Crocus biflorus subsp. melantherus B.Mathew Crocus nerimaniae Yüzbasioglu & Varol (2004) Crocus nubigena Herbert syn. Crocus biflorus subsp. nubigena (Herb.) B.Mathew Crocus pestalozzae Boiss. Crocus pseudonubigena (B.Mathew) Kernd., Pasche & Harpke syn. Crocus biflorus subsp. pseudonubigena B.Mathew Crocus pulchricolor Herb. ex Tchichatscheff syn. Crocus biflorus subsp. pulchricolor (Herb. ex Tchich.) B.Mathew Crocus punctatus (Kernd.) Kernd., Pasche & Harpke syn. Crocus biflorus subsp. punctatus B.Mathew Crocus stridii Papanicolau & Zacharof syn. Crocus biflorus subsp. stridii (Papan. & Zacharof) B.Mathew Crocus tauri Maw syn. Crocus biflorus subsp. tauri (Maw) B.Mathew Crocus wattiorum (B.Mathew) B.Mathew syn. Crocus biflorus subsp. wattiorum B.Mathew Crocus weldenii Hoppe & Fuernrohr syn. Crocus biflorus subsp. weldenii (Hoppe & Fuernr.) B.Mathew Crocus demirizianus O.Erol & L.Can (2012) Crocus yakarianus Yıldırım & O.Erol (2013) Crocus yataganensis (Kernd.) Kernd., Pasche & Harpke syn. Crocus biflorus subsp. yataganensis Kernd. & Pasche

*Series Lyciotauri Kerndorff & Pasche (Clade D)(new) Type species Crocus lyciotauricus: Outer corm tunics coriaceous or co-riaceous to membranous Crocus atrospermus (Kernd. & Pasche) Kernd. & Pasche syn. Crocus biflorus subsp. atrospermus Kernd. & Pasche Crocus akdagensis Kerndorff & Pasche Crocus akkayaensis Kerndorff & Pasche Crocus beydaglarensis Kerndorff & Pasche Crocus bowlesianus Kerndorff & Pasche Crocus calanthus Kerndorff & Pasche Crocus katrancensis Kerndorff & Pasche Crocus lyciotauricus Kerndorff & Pasche Crocus oreogenus Kerndorff & Pasche Crocus salurdagensis Kerndorff & Pasche Crocus xanthosus Kerndorff & Pasche Crocus ziyaretensis Kerndorff & Pasche

*Series Isauri Kerndorff & Pasche (Clade D) Type species Crocus isauricus: Outer corm tunics annulate and coriaceous

Crocus abracteolus Crocus antherotes Crocus caricus (Kernd.) Kernd., Pasche & Harpke syn. Crocus biflorus subsp. caricus Kernd. & Pasche Crocus concinnus Kerndorff & Pasche Crocus fauseri Crocus isauricus Kerndorff & Pasche (ex Bowles) syn. Crocus biflorus subsp. isauricus (Siehe ex Bowles) B.Mathew Crocus karamanensis Crocus mawii Crocus mersinensis Crocus rechingeri Kerndorff & Pasche