Crocus October 2014

[Janis Ruksans]

Excellent log, Maggi and Ian!
Here after long period of clouds and fog and rain finally shines sun, although temperature outside is cold - slightly below zero and very windy. In greenhouse was nice microclimate and crocuses opened flowers. So I made a lot of pictures and few can to show you.
At first Crocus banaticus Snowdrift. Now looks fantastic regardless of quite small corms planted after not the best season.
Then Crocus goulimyi - it is in full flowers - at first HARLEQUIN selected by John Fielding. Liga found very similar but later blooming form which we named NEW HARLEQUIN.
AGIA SOPHIA only today opened for the first time.
As always marvellous is Crocus ibrahimi.
And as last - Crocus pumilus from Crete - better than ever before.
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

Some more pictures from today:
Crocus laevigatus PELO-013 - collected by me and Liga in Pelloponess during our first visit to Greece
Crocus melantherus BM-8033 originally from Brian Mathew - another autumn beauty from Pelloponess
Crocus lycius certainly must be regarded as independent species, it is so special looking, has very bordered area. Really I don't understand why Brian described it as subsp. of cancellatus
Crocus nerimaniae belongs to one of two Turkish autumn bloomers from biflorus group.
The second is Crocus wattiorum - very differently looking and both are easy separable.
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

In this entry some of Crocus speciosus group
First two are Crocus hellenicus from Greece - N form from Monodendri and S form from Varnakovo
Crocus sakariensis - Turkish, lowland species
Crocus xantholaimos - compare style position with previous picture
Typical Crocus speciosus comes from Georgian and Armenian woodlands. It is light shade lover.
Janis

[Yann]

wonderful photos Janis, sakariensis is on my next wishlist.

[Janis Ruksans]

Autumn crocuses are not very rich in colour variability - dominates blue-lilac and white shades, but variability is fantastic. Today three entries, not all flowers are of best shape - due long bad weather and really cold outside. But greenhouse is full of fantastic aroma.
At first  Crocus robertianus  - three different forms
 Crocus robertianus Alba - selected from wild material
 Crocus robertianus Tricolored - flowers a little old, but shows colour pattern - it confirms idea expressed by B. Mathew that robertianus is autumn blooming mutation of C. sublimis (by Brian - Crocus sieberi subsp.)
 Crocus robertianus light blue form from near Varnakovo Monastery
Then excellent flower form of Crocus macedonicus
And as last in this entry new crocus species close to Crocus mazziaricus at first seen by my wife during our common trip to Peloponess.

[Janis Ruksans]

Most likely cv. Cloudy Sky belongs to another newcomer - Crocus "armeniacum" - now known as Crocus armeniensis -
and the same I can tell about cv. Vahagni - but those must be checked more carefully
Follows two pictures of new species close to C. assumaniae (confirmed by DNA)
And last in this entry one of best C. pallasii forms from near Labranda (population in nature completely destroyed by wild boars)

Note from Janis Ruksans re C. armeniensis:  :  At first I named it as  C. armeniacum and still on my picture files they has such label, but ending was incorrect assording Latin grammar, so it weas changed. Thanks to Rafael Govaert (Kew) who corrected my mistake.

[Janis Ruksans]

And last entry today with
Crocus goulimyi leucanthus - really I can't separate it from typical goulimyi, especially from white forms of last. I would prefer to regard them as colour variation only.
My autumn favourite - Crocus longiflorus from Nebrodi range in Italy
And as last - two forms of Crocus mathewii
cv. Brian Mathew (a little old flower)
and cv. Dream Dancer
Janis

[krisderaeymaeker]

Lovely to see them all Janis . Thanks for sharing once again.   That C. macedonicus is indeed an excellent form.
Here it was high summer until last sunday. Now temperature is a bit at a normal level again with day temperatures from around 14 degrees .
On saturday night 14 degrees was stil the night temperature .....This means that it generally  was a bit to warm for my autumn crocus  in my hot garden......Some noses  where in progress  before this very hot period but  I have the impression that they not like the very hot weather afterwards ?

[Yann]

Same here Kris, buds are emerging but looks like there're stopped.
All my banaticus stems are floppy, even in the garden. weather was too hot.

[krisderaeymaeker]

Same here Kris, buds are emerging but looks like there're stopped.
All my banaticus stems are floppy, even in the garden. weather was too hot.

Sad to here Yann , but good that you confirm .So I am more certain that I took the right conclusions. I can imagine that your situation is more or less the same as where I live .
We are looking so much forward to this season of the autumn flowering Crocus and so it is rather sad that this happens. But there is no ideal year for gardeners .......And for sure some other plants like this hot weather .

[Yann]

Narcissus 

[tonyg]

Crocus laevigatus forms are now coming to their best flowering here.  Almost all I currently grow are raised from home produced seed.  Much evidence of intraspecific hybrids .... all very pretty but a lost cause sorting them out.  Every so often a really nice and different one appears.

Final shot is Crocus cartwrightianus 2nd or 3rd or 4th? generation from the collection that has given rise to plants known as 'Purple Heart'

[Janis Ruksans]

Crocus laevigatus forms are now coming to their best flowering here.  Almost all I currently grow are raised from home produced seed.  Much evidence of intraspecific hybrids .... all very pretty but a lost cause sorting them out.  Every so often a really nice and different one appears.

Final shot is Crocus cartwrightianus 2nd or 3rd or 4th? generation from the collection that has given rise to plants known as 'Purple Heart'

I have similar blue laevigatus (something lighter) from wild collection, too. Don't think that it is hybrid.
Janis

[tonyg]

I have similar blue laevigatus (something lighter) from wild collection, too. Don't think that it is hybrid.
Janis

Thank you Janis.  In the same pot is the much darker form with strong purple marking outside so they are not uniform.  What I meant was that the different forms of Crocus laevigatus appear to cross with each other and resulting seedlings are rarely uniform, varying from the seed parent.  I have not yet identified any laevigatus as a hybrid with different species .... yet!

[udo]

Nice flowers Janis and Tony,
here after two days with rain: Crocus cartwrightianus.