Crocus February 2008

[Maggi Young]

Squashed, mis-shapen leaves

We think it is due to the leaves growing 'too quickly' inside the cataphylls and getting a bit squashed up before they emerge.  It is not thought to be a sign of ill health and the flowers are usually fine

If you look at the cataphylls in the photo, they do look rather tough and dark, perhaps the weather has damaged them and so prevented the leaves from emerging properly.... the leaves look otherwise to be a very good colour.

[Lesley Cox]

Are you sure you didn't have a small attack of "white fever" Maggi, and saw what wasn't really there at all? Talking of white fever, it can easily be cured by the "colour fever" I'm now inflicted with, from 20 crocus pages, all taken in a single dose.

[Maggi Young]

I think I saw it, Lesley.....it was certainly very lovely, even if only in my imagination! I may have a touch of a subspecies of white fever.... at Dunblane on Saturday I bought several snowdrops and a white Hepatica     Got a couple of 'drops I think I already have... to try to see if I can find which ones they are in the garden 
I have even gone so far as to ask Mark to help me source a  'drop...... but he may not be able to, so the fever may abate harmlessly 

[Anthony Darby]

Two that look very similar, so not sure if the second one is correct?
Crocus heuffelianus and C. scepusiensis.

[tonyg]

Brian Mathew in his 'lumping days' merged all the dark tipped Crocus vernus into ssp vernus alongside a whole raft of other forms.  So technically the names heuffelianus and scepusiensis are now invalid although 'Heuffelianus Group' is a name I have seen used.  I guess your similar plants sort of demonstate the good cause Brian had to combine them!

[mark smyth]

David N. : I see aphids on your Crocus leaves! Better sort 'em out tomorrow.

Maggi and Lesley, Maggi saw the photo OK but I then moved in down a few to show the comparison. Maggi the photo is the same

Some of my Crocus are very late this year and only just poking up now. Others I think are now in Crocus heaven. I'll post their names later in the week for the experts to have a say

[I.S.]

  Thanks so much Tony & Maggi  for help.
Last week I took some pics from my garden which I can post here.

[I.S.]

   And I have another one here in the pot which came to me without invitation. I have taken just a little soil for my pot which is on the out side of my window when I was coming a samall trip.
When I checked soil I have seen very small bulbs without any rings on bottom. I was thinking they could be C. antalyensis. But they are very pale forms of C.biflorus pulchricolor.  As you see...

[art600]

Ibrahim

Is this the normal flowering time, or are they earlier this year?

[art600]

Ibrahim
So different from the type.  I particularly like these speckled Crocus  You said there were small bulbs, does that mean there could be more flowers to come.  It would be interesting to follow their progress.

[Thomas Huber]

Thomas, if you get seed from your `Spring Pearls' some time.....please? Won't come true but could be something like.

It is noted on your wishlist, Lesley!

[David Shaw]

"David I see aphids on your Crocus leaves! Better sort 'em out tomorrow."

MARK - don't do that again without identifying fully who you are talking to. I doesn't do older hearts any good at all!!!!!

[Luc Gilgemyn]

I took these two into the kitchen today to open them up a bit. Of course I forgot about them so they are a little bit more open than I had wished. Crocus tommasinianus Roseus and C. biflorus tauri.

No need to put them on the stove David  
I'm particularly fond of c.bif. tauri !

[David Nicholson]

On page 16, reply 230, there was no pic of korolkowii for me either Luit. How did Maggi see it. Mark don't complain about last year's, that creamy one is beautiful.

This is the page in question....
http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=1286.225
I 've just been back for a look... I don't know what has gone on there... I remember now that when I read Luit's post, asking what had I seen that he hadn't, I was puzzled, because , at that time I COULD see the white korolkowii pic......now it has gone, as Luit found and now Lesley has found again.....luckily Mark posted another picture, along with the creamy version he had got the year before. I think the first pic, now missing, showed the flower less open, which showed the really lovely bluey shading to the stem.
I did see it, honestly!!

Would you like to say that again please, only slower

[David Nicholson]

David I see aphids on your Crocus leaves! Better sort 'em out tomorrow.

Ahhhhhhhhh. You must have a good optician!