Crocus

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/crocus

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Crocus
2. What is the native range?Mediterranean region, North Africa, Europe, Middle East, Central Asia, Western China
3. What makes crocuses special compared to other flowers?Crocuses have a special underground stem called a corm that keeps them safe during bad weather. Their big, bright flowers pop up from the soil, and the stems stay hidden below ground.
4. How do crocuses grow and survive in tough weather?The corm stores food so the plant can survive drought or cold. When the weather gets better, the corm pushes the flower up to the surface.

Geophyte: A plant whose buds are below the ground surface, surviving unfavorable seasons as underground organs.
Perennation: The ability of a plant to survive from one growing season to the next.
Nyctinasty: The nastic movement of plant organs in response to the daily cycle of light and darkness.