Morphological features
Evergreen woody, vine up to 10 m. Branchlets quadrangular, brown, seasonal net glabrous. Leaf axils with paired or solitary hooks, curved downward, apex pointed, ca. 1.7-2 cm. leaves opposite; short-petiolate; leaf blade ovate, ovate-oblong or elliptic, 5-12 cm long, 3-7 cm wide, apex acuminate, base broadly cuneate, entire, glossy above, often with tufts of hairs in vein axils below, slightly pinkish-white, drying to maroon; stipules 2-parted, segments barred and subulate, 6-12 mm long. Heads single axillary or in terminal racemelike arrangement, 2-2.5cm in diameter; pedicels slender, 2-5cm long; flowers yellow, corolla connate, distally 5-lobed, lobes exterior powdery pilose; stamens 5; ovary inferior. Capsule obovate or elliptic, sparsely pilose, with persistent calyx. Seeds winged at both ends.
Comparison of related species: Hookeria china: This species is distinguished from Hookeria by the following: leaf blade glabrous; stipules entire, broadly triangular to orbicular, or sometimes apically slightly sunken; calyx lobes shorter than 2 mm, linear-oblong; flowers and capsulelets subsessile, inter-flowered bracteoles present. Hookeria grandiflora: This species is differentiated from the first two species by the following: leaf blades large, leathery; calyx lobes linear-oblong; flowers and capsulelets stipitate, inter-floral bracteoles absent.
Cultivation techniques of Crocus sativus
Cultivation conditions
1. Climate and soil: prefer warm climate, intolerant of cold. Suitable for loose and fertile sandy soil or clay loam.
2. Ground preparation: ploughing in mid-March, applying compost or stable fertilizer; harrowing for beds.
Planting
Split Root Method
Take the new branches around the old roots as seed roots. According to the plant spacing of about 30cm hole, each hole l plant, mulch is higher than the bed, often watering, to the next spring when the new roots have grown, the new leaves have not germinated transplanted planting.
Plug method
Cut 2-year-old branches with buds at the beginning of March, each section with 2-3 strong buds, cut with the plug, plant spacing of 16cm, often watering, strong sunlight must be trellis shade, after the survival of the application of dilute human urine 1 time. To the next spring or fall transplanting planting. The other can be propagated by seed.
Planting
Before planting, make holes according to the distance of 2.5~3M between rows and 1.5~2M between plants, the diameter of the holes is about 40㎝, and the depth of the holes is about 30㎝, and put rotted manure into the holes as the base fertilizer.
Seedling propagation is transplanted and planted after 2 years, and cuttings are transplanted in the second year. Early spring, in the dug hole into the seedlings, the rotted pig pen manure and soil mix, fill in the hole, so that the roots of the seedlings all covered, compacted, watering that is.
Field management
Seed propagation in the following spring, at any time after the removal of leaves and weeds on the ground, appropriate fertilizer; cuttings of seedlings after the survival of the watering of dilute human and animal feces and urine every 30 days. After the planting of green, weeding in time, winter to remove the ground leaves, weeds, and root and stem cultivation soil. After the Qingming, hook vine began to sprout new branches, to the autumn equinox when the top of the branch will be cut off, that is? Topping? ; in the fall, combined with the harvest to cut out dead branches, diseased branches. After planting, every 40 days watering dilute human and animal feces and urine, winter in the root and stem of the hook and vine spread a layer of rotted pig pen manure, and cover the fine soil.
Harvesting and processing
Harvesting in summer and fall, when the hook is purple-red, cut the stem and branch with hook, remove the leaves, cut it into 2-3㎝ small section, dry it in the sun or dry it in the sun after steaming, then it can be used as medicine.