The snow crocus, genus

Genus

In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...

 Crocus

Crocus

Crocus is a genus in the iris family comprising about 80 species of perennials growing from corms. Many are cultivated for their flowers appearing in autumn, winter, or spring...

, is a small flowering plant with a cup-shaped flower

Flower

A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...

 that comes in a wide range of colors. Its name comes from the time of year in which it blooms, very early spring. Sometimes, it blooms so early that its brightly-colored blossoms poke through the snow left from winter. Snow crocuses grow less than six inches tall and have narrow,striped leaves. The many varieties of the crocus include Blue Pearl, Advance, Lady Killer, Goldilocks, Cream Beauty, and Zwanenburg Bronze. The Latin, or scientific, name of the snow crocus is Crocus chrysanthus.

See also

• Crocus
  Crocus
  Crocus is a genus in the iris family comprising about 80 species of perennials growing from corms. Many are cultivated for their flowers appearing in autumn, winter, or spring...
  
  , main article on these plants.

http://www.theplantexpert.com/springbulbs/Crocus2.html

http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/55141/index.html