Crocus December 2015

[Janis Ruksans]

Crocus vitellinus, from JJA 354.706 : Lebanon, M'tein. 875m. Ex. R. & R. Wallis 99-26.

Dear Tatsuo,
I lost this sample some years ago. I got it as corm by wish of Jim Archibald. It happened in first season - it bloomed with me in late autumn and in spring was died. I think it was lost by RRW, too (by their mail when I searched for replacement). Very nice to see that alived somewhere as now revisiting of area is far too dangerous. May be we can swap with some corm/cormlet next summer?
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

By the way, where have regular forumists gone They suddenly disappeared from crocus topic.

Sorry, I had some health problems - it is main reason why I'm not more putting entries (rarely visiting my greenhouses and office), and here started darkest time - very few crocuses still with flowers - nothing new to show, too. And I'm very busy with some writing - must to finish new manuscript before new travel season will start (in March). But I didn't left our forum!
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

Here very strange season, too. Still plenty of flowers on melantherus and laevigatus, much on veneris, few goulimyi, moabiticus still not started (it seems that flower-buds of it will remain inside catafills) but weather is so dark, that they are staying in tight buds. Last week we had one sunny day when I visited my greenhouses, but flowers still remain almost closed. Most dangerous that many, many spring bloomers showed noses out of pots, fortunately still no flowers. Weather broadcast offers minor snow and some frost at Christmas, but Global Forecast predicts still warm January and February with frost in March. That could be quite horrible.
Janis

[Maggi Young]

Sending you our very best wishes for better health, Janis.  I'm sure you always do too much work! 

[YT]

Take good care of youself, Janis

[Ian Y]

Janis yes we all wish you well, keep warm and take care of yourself.

I just went out to the bulb houses to see if we had any Crocus in flower to cheer up the Crocus fans  and here are a few not very happy specimens but then it is very cold and damp today just 0C no frost but feels very cold with the dampness.

Two species in flower are Crocus laevigatus and Crocus caspius, poor pictures because it is like twilight here.

Just noticed the thread is still for November, now it is 14 December.

[Janis Ruksans]

A little rest and I prepared some pictures from last week. Today all flowers were tightly closed.
The first is interesting Cretan form of Crocus cartwrightianus. Brian Mathew recommended for me to give more attention to this one and he wrote a lot about it in his Monograph. May be in autumn will try to visit Crete again.
Then Crocus hyemalis from Israel. Nice black anthered species, blooming quite late here.
And few pictures of Crocus laevigatus.
Janis

[Maggi Young]

Just noticed the thread is still for November, now it is 14 December.

Yes, well there were comments pertaining to November!!  Have moved your posts to December now.

[Maggi Young]

A little rest and I prepared some pictures from last week. Today all flowers were tightly closed.
The first is interesting Cretan form of Crocus cartwrightianus. Brian Mathew recommended for me to give more attention to this one and he wrote a lot about it in his Monograph. May be in autumn will try to visit Crete again.
Then Crocus hyemalis from Israel. Nice black anthered species, blooming quite late here.
And few pictures of Crocus laevigatus.
Janis

Take care, Janis.   Fine flowers showing in last week's sunshine. Very cold, damp and dark here now.

[Janis Ruksans]

Here some Crocus mazziaricus from Greece.
Two pictures from Moni Romvou is close to locus classicus from very W of Pelopones.
Those from Thiva and Larissa are from E side of Greece. Sorry, flowers regardless of sun remained closed.
Now outside is snowing and raining - horribly wet and cold.
Janis

[art600]

The label reads - "Crocus biflorus sp. ex Gothenburg"

Can anyone hazard a guess at what it might be.  With the dismal weather this is the best photo I could take

[Janis Ruksans]

The label reads - "Crocus biflorus sp. ex Gothenburg"

Can anyone hazard a guess at what it might be.  With the dismal weather this is the best photo I could take

Impossible to identify by picture. Do you know Gothenburgs aquisitiion number?
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

May be last pictures this year (of course if will not start blooming of spring crocuses - weather is so strange...)
The first is Crocus laevigatus from Ikaria Island, originally collected by Arnis Seisums.
Then Crocus pumilus (?) from Crete, but in this pot seems that some mix occured - there were typical plants from Crete which finished blooming some time ago and now suddenly came out few identical, but looking more as laevigatus. How it happened - I don't know but all were marked to take out at harvesting.
And the last is very nice Crocus tournefortii 15GRS-019 from Rhodos Island, collected by me only this spring, so the first blooming with me.
Janis

[ruben]

Very nice Crocusses Janis

Here today 15 degrees celcius! Much to warm for the time of the year. But Crocusses do not flower earlier as usual here

Crocus laevigatus 'Fontenayi'
Crocus korolkowii from Mongol tau Mts in Uzbekistan
Crocus laevigatus CEH 612
Crocus reticulatus from Moldavia (Thanks to Dirk Schnabel)
Crocus imperatii ssp. suaveolens 'De Jager'

[Maggi Young]

Pretty Crocus korolkowii, Ruben.  I sometimes think this species is a bit overlooked.