WorldFloraDB - Crocosmia x crocosmiiflora

Characteristics

Stiff, leafy, clump-forming, rhizomatous, 60-90 cm high. Corm ± 3.5 × 1.5 cm, flattened; tunic fibrous, light brown, 3 or more successive corms at base of shoot. Leaves firm, ± erect to curving above, ± 2 cm wide, slightly < flowering scape, outer short and sheath-like at base of stem, with basal fan and a few cauline leaves, midvein ± conspicuous. Inflorescence 15-30 cm long, cymose, branches few, axis zigzag; spathe-valves reddish-purple-brown, ± 5 mm long at flowering, lengthening to 1 cm at fruiting. Flowers reddish-orange, ± 3 cm long, 4-5 cm diam., ± distant; tube narrow, 1 cm long; lobes spreading above, outer deeper coloured on back, subacute, inner obtuse, one wider than other two. Capsule ± 5 mm long, green, oblong-trigonous. Seeds c. 6 at maturity, ± 3 mm long, reddish-brown, compressed-triangular, surface minutely papillose.

More

Herb 30–100 cm high, with scaly stolons. Corms 2–3 cm diam. Leaves 6–12, 30–80 cm long, 1–2 cm wide, acute, flat with prominent midvein. Scape terete, partly sheathed by leaves; branches few, 2-or 3-ribbed. Spike 4–20-flowered, flexuose, becoming open. Bracts scarious, brown, the outer ovate, acute, 6–10 mm long, the inner similar, bifid, shorter. Flowers zygomorphic, red-orange. Perianth tube slightly decurved, 12–18 mm long; lobes oblong to lanceolate, obtuse, 18–20 mm long, 5–7 mm wide, all spreading. Filaments 12–18 mm long; anthers 5–8 mm long, exserted. Style branches c. 4 mm long, cuneate. Capsule 7–10 mm diam. Seeds dark brown, usually shrivelled.

A herb. It keeps growing from year to year.

Life form

perennial

Growth form

herb

Growth support

-

Foliage retention

deciduous

Sexuality

hermaphrodite

Pollination

entomogamy

Spread

barochory

Mature width (meter)

0.1 - 0.5

Mature height (meter)

0.5 - 1.0

Root system

-

Rooting depth (meter)

-

Root diameter (meter)

-

Flower color

Blooming months

Jan	Feb	Mar
Apr	May	Jun
Jul	Aug	Sep
Oct	Nov	Dec

Fruit color

-

Fruiting months

-

Nitrogen fixer

-

Photosynthetic pathway

-

Environment

Found mainly around former gardens, settlements and roadsides in moist forest and coastal scrub, multiplying by stolons but apparently not producing viable seed.

More

It is a subtropical or Mediterranean climate plant. In Argentina it grows from sea level to 1,300 m above sea level.

Light
Soil humidity
Soil texture
Soil acidity
Soil nutriment
Hardiness (USDA)

Usage

Uses	medicinal
Edible	flowers
Therapeutic use	-
Human toxicity	-
Animal toxicity	-

Cultivation

Can be grown by divisions.

Mode	divisions
Germination duration (days)	30 - 90
Germination temperacture (C°)	12 - 15
Germination luminosity	-
Germination treatment	-
Minimum temperature (C°)	-18
Optimum temperature (C°)	-
Size	-
Vigor	-
Productivity	-