crossword solution explanation

[guitarboogie]

Bare Bones No 454 Mail on Sunday 12/12/10

Clue reads :- Barrows of spring flowers (a third missing) captivating Greek character.

Solution is :- Tumuli

Fair enough, I get tumuli (being the plural of tumulus) - ancient burial mounds - "barrows"
but cannot see the connexion with either A; spring flowers, nor with B; a third missing, nor with C; a captivating Greek character.

Any light on this will be most pleasing, kind regards and seasons greetings,

guitarboogie

[bibblebub]

spring flowers(a third missing) = TULI(ps)
captivating = put ^ outside of ...
greek character = MU

tuMUli

[Prudie]

tulips (spring flowers) take a third off leaves tuli and put round the Greek letter mu

[sandyRoe]

Greek character...MU? Spring flowers Tulips, minus 1/3= Tuli? Tu mu li?

[Phils_Dad]

Hi

TULIPS, minus the last third plus UM, a grek character.

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