Citation: Planchon, Fl. des Serres 7:161 & t. 702 (1851-2).

Derivation: Greek krokos, saffron; osmb, smell; because of the odour when dried flowers are soaked in water.

Synonymy: Not Applicable

Common name: None

Description:
Deciduous glabrous perennial herbs dormant in winter; corms globose, persistent, with netted fibrous tunics; leaves several, basal and near-basal, flat, sword-shaped, tapering.

Scape erect, terete, branched, rigid; spikes distichous, several in a loose panicle; flowers sessile, solitary in each spathe; bracts short, paired, subequal; perianth tube slightly curved, narrowly funnel-shaped; lobes subequal; stamens inserted on the tube, free, unilateral; anthers linear, sagittate, versatile, exserted; style filiform, with 3 short recurved cuneate branches.

Capsule depressed-globose, 3-lobed, hard; seeds few, large. (M.P. de Vos (1984) Jl S. Afr. Bot. 50:463-502.)

Distribution:  9 species in southern Africa.

Biology: No text

Author: Not yet available