The name is derived from the Greek words krokos (saffron) and osme (smell), referring to the saffron-like scent, when dried flowers are dipped in water.
They are evergreen or deciduous perennial herbs that grow from basal underground corms. The basal, alternate leaves are cauline (meaning, belonging to the stem) and distichous (meaning, growing in two vertical ranks). The leaves are linear or lanceolate. The blades are parallel-veined. The margin is entire.
They have colourful inflorescences of 4 to 20 vivid red and orange subopposite flowers on a divaricately branched stem. The terminal inflorescence can have the form of a cyme or a raceme. These flower from early summer well into autumn. The flowers are sessile on a flexuose arched spike. The fertile flowers are hermaphroditic. All stamens have an equal length. The style branches are apically forked. They are pollinated by insects, birds (hummingbirds) or by the wind. The dehiscent capsules are shorter than wide.
Crocosmia are winter-hardy in warm temperate regions. They can be propagated through division, removing offsets from the corm in spring.
Members of the crocosmia family include: Crocosmia mathewsiana, Crocosmia paniculata, Aunt-Eliza, Crocosmia pauciflora, Crocosmia pearsei, Crocosmia ambongensis, Crocosmia aurea, Falling Stars, Crocosmia cinnabarina, Crocosmia fucata, Namaqualand, Cape region, Crocosmia luciferans, Crocosmia maculata , Crocosmia masonorum, Giant Montbretia, Crocosmia pottsii, Pott's Montbretia
Crocosmia
