Iridaceae

C. cancellatus Herbert in Bot Mag. 67: sub t. 3864 (1841).
Corm tunic reticulate-fibrous, usually coarsely so. Leaves 3-7, hysteran-thous or rarely with tips just visible, 1.5-3(-4.5) mm broad. Prophyll absent. Braeteole present, ssbequal to or much smaller than bract. Throat of perianth usually yellow, glabrous or pubescent: segments 2.3-5,5 x 0.5-1.8 cm, bluntly acnminate, subacute, obtese or rounded, lilac-blue or white, usually veined or sometimes stained darker at base. Filaments 2-5(-9) mm, pale yellow or white, glabrous or papillose; anthers 1,3-2 cm, yellow or creamy-white. Style dividing into several slender yellow or orange branches. 2n= 8,10,12,14,16,18. Fl. 9-11. Rocky slopes, ıparse woods, macchie, 50-2400 m.
1.Anthers white; throat deep yellow or orange (C. Taurus) subsp. pamphylicus
1.Anthers yellow; throat yellow or white {S.W. & Inner Anatolia, E. Taurus) 2. Braeteole exserted and visible, subegual to bract or to uppermost sheathing leaf, hut narrower
   3.Perianth segments 2.8-3,5 x 0.6-1 cm, white or very pale lilac; style usually equalling or shorter than anthers (Lycian Taurus) subsp. lycius
   3.Perianth segments 3.S-5.5 x 1-1.5 cm, usually raid to deep lilac; style much exceeding anthers {S.W. Anatolia) subsp. mazziaricus
  2. Bracteole usually included within bract or sheathing leaves, not visible without dissection
    4. Corm tunic with robust, very coarsely netted fibres, interspaces mostly 6 mm or more; conn (l-)1.5-3 cm diam.; leaves 2-3{-4.5) mm broad; style often exceeded by anthers (Inner Anatolia, Hatay) subsp. damascenes
    4. Corm tunic with siender netted fibres with interspaces mostly 5 mm or less; corm 1 -1.5 on Ham.; leaves 1 -2.5 mm broad;style usually exceeding anthers {E. Taurus, Hatay) subsp. cancellatus
subsp. damascenus (Herbert) Mathew, The Crocus 68 (1982). Syn: C. damas-cenus Herbert in Bot. Reg. 31:37, f. 1, Misc. 1 (1845); C. dianthns C. Koch in Iinnaea 21:634 (1848). Ic: Wendelbo, Tulips & Irises of Iran t. 67 (1977). Map 65. 2n=8,10,12.
Type: [Syria] ex montibus aridis calcareis pxope Damascum, Vice-Consul at Damascus [T.S. Jago].
S. Anatolia (Amanus), Inner Anatolia. B6 Sivas: pass between Zara and Divriği, 1700-1800 m, Ingham 136! Maraş: 15 km N. of Göksün, 1600 m, Mathew & Tomlinson 4523 (2n = 10)! Malatya: Doğanşehir, nr lake, Baron 2102! B7 Malatya: Malatya to Akçadağ, 800 m, D. 27681! B9 Muş: Tusla-Tschai (Tuzla Çay), C. Koch (type of C. dianthus). Bitlis: 4 km N. of Tatvan, 1500 m, T. Baytop & Mathew (ISTE 27019:2n = 12)! Van: Arpit De., S. of Pisvanik, 1750 m, Watson et al. 3855 (2n = 12)! C4 Konya: Mut to Karaman,Sertavul pass, 1600 m,T. Baytop & Sütlüpinar (ISTE 33923)'. C6 Gaziantep: Nurda! pass, Fevzipaşato Gaziantep, 1600 m. Mathew &Tomlinson 4163 (2n= 10)1 Adana:Düldül Da.,N.ofHaruniye, 1850 m,Watsonetal.3813l Maraş:
Adıyaman, 40 km S.W, of Gölbaşı, 100 m, Marais 1540a (2a= 10)! Hatay: iskenderun, Soğukoluk, 600 m, T. Baytop & Mathew (ISTE 27036)! Urfa: Birecik, Kanata (İSTE 24190)! C7 Urfa: nx Urfa, 700 m, T. Baytop &. Mathew (ISTE 27023:4a = 10)! C8 Diyarbakir: 40 km from Diyarbakır to Mardin, 600 m, T. Baytop & Mathew (ISTE 27013:2n = 8)! C10 Hakkari: Yüksekova to Zab gorge, Rix 1932 (2a = 10).
W. Syria, M. Iraq, W. Iran. Ir.-Tur, element. Distribution of .species: Greece, Jugoslavia, N. Iraq, W. Syria, W.Iran. Very variable, but easily recognised as it is the only autumnal Crocus tsaving a coarsely netted corm tunic.