Tecophilaea cyanocrocus

Common name: Chilean blue crocus. We owe the name of this beautiful genus to the daughter of the Italian botanist Luigi Colla (1766-1848) from Turin, who was given the freak name "Tecofila" at birth. It is also named after the Italian botanical artist Tecophila Billottii. Intro: late 19th century. A fragrant, approximately ten cm high, spring-flowering species. Origin: Chile, mainly relatively high in the Andes at 2,000 meters altitude. Fairly hardy.