Crocus thracicus (Iridaceae), a new species from north-western Turkey

WOS: 000350225800004Crocus thracicus is described as a new species from Thrace, the European part of Turkey. The white form of this species was wrongly referred to an albino form of C. chrysanthus by Mathew in the Flora of Turkey. It grows in open stony places and in sparse Quercus sp. and Paliurus spina-christi clearings at elevations between 45-170 m. It is compared with the morphologically similar C. alexandri and C. weldenii. A description, detailed illustrations, photograps of metephase plate, karyotype and idiogram of new species are presented.Research Fund of Istanbul Univ.Istanbul University [31628, 43913]We thank to the anonymous reviewers and to the editor Lorenzo Peruzzi, who helped us to improve manuscript. We would like to thank to the curators of AEF, ANK, GAZI, HUB, ISTE, ISTF, ISTO, K and NGBB herbaria who allowed us to study their Crocus specimens. Our thanks also to Research Fund of Istanbul Univ. (Project no. 31628, 43913) for financial support, Ibrahim Sozen and Faruk Caniz for assistance during the field research and Dilan Bayindir for editing the English language