The corms form in vertical chains, with the youngest at the top, and oldest and largest buried most deeply in the soil.

The chains of corms are fragile and easily separated, a quality that has enabled some species to become invasive and difficult to control in the garden.

The genus name is derived from the Greek words krokos, meaning "saffron", and osme, meaning "odour" – from the dried leaves emitting a strong smell like that of saffron (a spice derived from Crocus – another genus belonging to the Iridaceae) when immersed in hot water.

It was named by Alire Raffeneau Delile for Ernest Coquebert de Montbret [fr], a fellow French botanist on Napoleon's Egyptian Campaign.

[8] Species accepted by Kew Plants of the World Online:[1] Crocosmias are grown worldwide, and more than 400 cultivars have been produced.