SHAFFRON

Crocus alatavicus Regel et Semen

IRIDACEAE

Status 2.  Rare endemic of the Central Asia.
The brief description. Tuber-bulbous herbaceous renascent. Lenght is 15cm. Bulb is spherical, up to 3cm in diameter. Cover is brown, from parallel fibres. Leaves are narrow, deep-green, with white strip along the leaf.  The flower is narrow-conic, edges are whole, flatten. Outer leaves are light-lilac outside, and with white strip inside. Inner leaves are whole white. The center of the flower with fan-shaped yellow spot. The stamens are yellow, anthers are orange. It blossoms in February, April, fruits in June, July.
Area. Western Tien-Shan: the Pskem, Ugam, Chatkal, Great Chimgan mountain ridges, the Angren river's valley and Kuramin mountain ridge (Tashkent province).
Inhabitations. Cobbleous and argillaceous slopes from foothill to middle mountain belt (700-2200m above the sea level).
Numbers. They are found by individual specimens.
Reproduction.  Seed.
The reasons of change of the number and area. Massive collection of flowers and bulbs.
Incubation. From 1959 it grows in the Botanic garden of AS of the Uzbekistan.
The accepted and necessary measures of protection.  The control behind a condition of populations is necessary.

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The sources of information. The Red Book of the Uzbek SSR. Rare and close to extention species of animals and plants. Publ. house "FAN", Tashkent, 1984.