If you see a spread of beautiful little flowers in bloom at this time of year, you know that one plant is called a crocus but what is the correct word for the plural?
Now is when the crocus is bringing its splash of colour to gardens and parks everywhere and it is a true sign that winter is on its way out. Yesterday, Sharon bent from her wheelchair to try and see the flowers of a particularly fine display.
The crocus is not native to Britain. Like so many other of our favourite flowers it has arrived from elsewhere but is now an essential part of the gardener's world. The crocus is native to coastal and sub-alpine areas of central and southern Europe, being found also in North Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia and China. The first time that anyone wrote about the crocus being in northern Europe was in 1560 when it was brought to Holland. By 1620s garden varieties had been developed. Now about 80 species are recognised of which about 30 are generally grown in gardens.
The world's most expensive spice, saffron, is a crocus with the tiny stamens being used to give flavouring and rich colour to dishes such as paella. The current price is more than nine pounds a gram (US$14). Sharon's neighbours in Spain used to grow it and the plants were very like those found in the ordinary garden in Britain. Little corms were planted but the neighbours said that saffron could only be grown in the same spot for a couple of years before the soil was exhausted by the effort of providing all that flavour for cooks.
So – what word should you use for several of the plants?
The answer is croci – not crocuses.
www.sharonskitchenworld.blogspot.com
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