Crocus April 2007

[Lesley Cox]

I find with many violas that they flower and set no seed in spring then set seed without having flowered, in autumn. But V. pedata has never set any seed, any time. Darn it. It flowers well off and on though. V. pedatifida on the other hand, seeds about and is almost a nuisance, though pretty.

[Guff]

Thanks everyone. I looked at some Star of Bethlehem in another part of my yard, looks like the mystery is solved. I will dig it up after it flowers, and place else wheres.

I'm seeing crocus pods around the yard, and some in the holding bed. I think I'm going to have a bumper crop this year.

When the seed pod pops up on the stalk-thingy, how long do you usually wait to pick? Last year I wrapped tinfoil around the pods, and waited until they started to break down, before I picked them.

Thanks for info.

[Thomas Huber]

Some more unusual flowerings for Northern Gardens:

These plants were imported from the Southern hemisphere,
Crocus longiflorus albus
Crocus caspius
Crocus minimus albus

[Lesley Cox]

They look great Thomas. Nice to see one of mine in there

[Kees Jan]

Here are some pics of Turkish croci. First three pics of C. aerius, photographed at Sogani Geçidi (2230m) in NE Turkey on May 15th. We found it again at Zigana Pass a couple of days later but there it was past its best. By the way, many Crocus anthers and styles at Sogani Geçidi (2230m) were eaten by something!

Perhaps this is done by the insect (what is it?) that you can see on one of the two Crocus biflorus pictures from the western part of the Palendoken Mts. Could this be ssp. tauri??

The last of the six pictures is also some form of biflorus, this time from near the tree line just west of Camlibel Gecidi, at about 2300m altitudes (between Ardahan Artvin). It was photographed on 8 May. Any idea of the subspecies?

[Lesley Cox]

Lovely pictures Kees Jan. And beautiful variation in the C. aerius.

[Thomas Huber]

Hi Kees, thanks for the wonderful photos of these Turkish crocusses!

I have heard of black beatles, enjoying crocus flowers for lunch, so maybe you found the culprit!

Sorry, I don't dare an ID of the unknown biflorus ssp only by photo. The only people who
might give you an exact ID are probably Kerndorff / Pasche!

[I.S.]

    Hi Kees! these are very nice pictures. I have seen first time white aerius. I will take a few your photos
to my photo archives. It is important for me to know flowering time on the wild. That area is very interesting for me too. But too far!.
    Your biflorus tauri is right. But your last biflorus is very strange. It is not known in the area. In the area
there are only biflorus artvinensis which has ony one strip auter petals. It might be also reticulatus ssp
reticulatus which live in the Caucasusia. If the corm is biflorus then it should be near to biflorus artvinensis
because biflorus group is very variable. For example where I live there is biflorus adamii. I have seen with one srtıp, with three strips, without strip or fully violet...  No idea more.
     I hope you have seen also colchicum szowitsi in the same area.!
     Thanks to share them with us........
   
     ibrahim.

[I.S.]

   Kees! for the eaten anthers; The snails or a kind of snails. They like so much anthers, only anthers
not another parts. I have seen severel times in the act.
   Your last biflorus also can be biflorus ssp tauri. I have seen stripped one also..
   
   
     ibrahim..

[Armin]

Kees, thank you for the nice crocus pics.
It's always a pleasure to see them growing in the wild.