Crocus October 2015

[Boyed]

Crocus speciosus forms collected 2 years ago from the trip with Janis to the Soth of Armenia. We have found an interesting population with great colour variability. Many have blooming now and I have a good opportunity to select an interesting forms for further propagation to be introduced as cultivars.

[Boyed]

My potential candidates for cultivars. So far I selected 4 forms, dug them carefully with part of soil and replanted with the cormlets. I even thought of possible names for them. They don't suffer very much when replanted during vegetation if it is done carefully. Last autumn I received some speciosus corms from Thomas Huber just dug during blooming. Tthey did very well even after 3 weak travelling, forming blooming replacement corms, except few, which died (the reson, I suppose, was the infected not fresh soil, which I reused).

1. Very dark form, clear purple with veins, which is considerably darker from 'Oxonian' and 'Aino', but it has pale tubes. We found different dark forms. I even found a form very uniform evenly coloured form from outside and inside without any veins. Unfortunately, I lost it, it was planted in a pot and decaded during winter. I think the best and safest way is to plant outside if there are no rodents in the garden. I intent to call it 'Evening Melody'.

2,3,4. an interesting striped form, resembling by colour crocus speciosus subs. archibaldii. I want to name it 'Bohemian Beauty'.

5. another striped form, less contrasting, but with with huge blooms. Possible name 'Devil's Pray'.

6. pale lavender form, with milky white outer petals at the begining of blooming from outside. Possible name 'Skyline'.

[ruben]

Very nice forms Zhirair!

I love 'Evening melody' and 'Bohemian Beauty'. 'Devil's pray' is also a lovely one.

Do all this cv's fall under the new speciosum Crocus armeniacum?

[ruben]

Some crocusses of the garden today:

Crocus kotschyanus 'Lietuva'
Crocus speciosus 'Netsuke'
Crocus tournefortii white form
Crocus hadriaticus - Mistras, taygetos, Pelops Greece

[ruben]

Crocus oreocreticus
Crocus cambessedesii (Thanks Thomas for this gem)
Crocus lycius
Crocus cambessedesii

[Boyed]

Very nice forms Zhirair!

I love 'Evening melody' and 'Bohemian Beauty'. 'Devil's pray' is also a lovely one.

Do all this cv's fall under the new speciosum Crocus armeniacum?

According to Janis, yes. But crocus armeniacum is not yet officially discribed and accepted. In my opinion further study and investigation is needed. It grows in very Soth of the country. It might grow in the neighbouring countries as well, for example in Iran and Azerbaijan. Who knows. I just list them just as speciosus so far.

[Maggi Young]

My potential candidates for cultivars. So far I selected 4 forms, dug them carefully with part of soil and replanted with the cormlets. I even thought of possible names for them. .

6. pale lavender form, with milky white outer petals at the begining of blooming from outside. Possible name 'Skyline'.

  It is   possible confusionmight arise  with the existiing  Crocus cultivar 'Skyline, Zhirair.
http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=5060.msg138194#new

[Boyed]

  It is   possible confusionmight arise  with the existiing  Crocus cultivar 'Skyline, Zhirair.
http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=5060.msg138194#new

Thanks for warning, dear Maggi. I thought about that. As far as I know, there is also a crocus vernus cultivar under this name. I just thought, maybe for different species the same name might be possible to use.

[Yann]

Ruben your Crocus seem to like the coldframe climate.

[Boyed]

These are my seedlings from crocus pulchellus 'Zephyr'. It reproduced different white crocus pulchellus, white crocus pulchellus x crocus speciosus (in the middle), and lilac crocus pulchellus x crocus speciosus seedlings. I selected the white pulchellus seedling with starry-shaped blooms (in the forground) and white pulchellus with large goblet-shaped blooms (in the background) for further propagation.



Another photo from the other side



(in the background 2 strnbergia lutea samples suddenly showed virus, so I applied round-uo and covered them with caprone bottle for protection purposes)

[ruben]

Thanks Tony! The leavigatus SBL 348 is one from crete. Its a tiny form with beautiful disproportionately large style branches.

Thanks Yann. Yes its seems they like there new home in the cold frame 

[Janis Ruksans]

Nice to see plants from our common trips, Zhirair. So they initiated to me to show you some of my last day's pictures made after returning from SRGC discussion weekend in Scotland (Marvellous meeting with so many old friends, excellent lectures, fantastic service in hotel etc., etc. Not easy to surpass)
So back to crocuses.
The first Crocus speciosus from Georgia, Bakuriani where I was on trip organized by Colin Mason. This speciosus was collected for me by our long time not seen former forumist Rik. We went in different directions, I looked for white and bicolored Scilla rosenii, but Rick went in different direction and, knowing my interest in crocuses, brought for me some speciosus corms. Turned very nice, very prominently striped population
Next is another one Georgian speciosus, collected for me by Rick
Last 3 pictures are from plants collected together with Zhirair near Ijevan. He spotted there one white individual, but below were 2 larger corms and few grains. Here this white one bloomed slightly toned bluish, but between those others collected there turned out another one whites. I not remember seeing other white individuals in wild, may be some grains from Zhirairs finding occurred between mine blues, or may be I collected some individual which didn't bloomed? In any case appearing of those other whites in pot with blue ones is some mystery for me.

    Crocus speciosus Bakuriani -01
    Crocus speciosus CMGG-018 -06
    Crocus speciosus Ijevan -06
    Crocus speciosus Ijevan -07
    Crocus speciosus Ijevan Alba -01

[Janis Ruksans]

Still Crocus "speciosus" theme:
At first two of C. armeniacum from Goris,
then two of C. puringhiorum from Crimea, Tschatir Dag
and as last C. speciosus from Georgia, just near Tbilisi at Czerepashje Lake

[Janis Ruksans]

To finish with Crocus speciosus today - Crocus bolensis variability of flowers from outside and open flower - note position of stigma, not the most characteristic, but very close. In wild usually completely between anthers, in cultivation sometimes slightly higher, but still very low positioned comparing with Caucasian and Crimean plants.

[Janis Ruksans]

To give you some rest from "speciosus" few more different
The first flower of Crocus nerimaniae - virus free seedling from wild collected, heavy infected stock
Then seedling variability in Crocus cartwrightianus
and cv. of C. cartwrigfhtianus 'Purple Heart'
To compare - one garthering of C. mathewiii
and two seedlings of C.mathewii