May 2017 in the Southern Hemisphere

[Jupiter]

Jacqui I love your photo of the silverleaf Cyclamen persicum. A special plant indeed.

Regarding Crocus laeviatus, I'm confused too... I will lift a corm of mine when they are dormant and take a clear photo of the tunic, and combined with photos I have of the flowers should enable a positive ID using Janis' Crocus bible.

[Lesley Cox]

Crocus (biflorus?) melantherus would surely have black anthers. Mine certainly has them.

Beautiful Cyc. persicum leaves Anita. Worth growing as many sdlgs as you can.

[vanozzi]

Thanks girls for the info on crocus sources in AU.
Over the years I have made some great purchases from Bryan Tonkin Bulbs, mostly tulips and lilium, always healthy and flowering size.

Yes!!-love the persicum leaves!

Here is something of further interest.Years ago, at least 10, when at Essie Huxleys, she gave me these seed pods.Now they have suffered two house moves, living at the back of the fridge.So, a month ago, I did a clean out and wondered what were these interesting seed capsules? Not expecting them to germinate, but forever hopeful, they were planted.And this is the result a month later.Almost 100% germination!!

So what are they please? The seed is grey-black and flat, with the interesting seed capsules at back. (disregard the little round  red seed)

[Otto Fauser]

Jacqui and Jamus , you are both growing the correctly named  Crocus laevigatus  .Some forms flower later ( almost the start of winter ) also some forms have darker blue  markings on the outside of the 3 outer segments - my darkest one came from John Grimshaw .

[Jupiter]

Thank you Otto.   We can always count on you to dispel doubt and bestow wisdom.

[Parsla]

Hi vanozzi,

It's just possible it's a pancratium maritimum. Are the seeds quite large?

[Parsla]

Although now I look at the seedlings they seem dicotyledonous.....so I don't know..

[anita]

Crocus (biflorus?) melantherus would surely have black anthers. Mine certainly has them.

Beautiful Cyc. persicum leaves Anita. Worth growing as many sdlgs as you can.

Lesley, Not my lovely C. persicum, the pic I think you are referring to was posted by Jacqui (although I have some beautiful two year old silver persicum seedlings from Marcus Harvey's final list. There were six seeds in the packet and five germinated last year. I still have hope that a sixth seedling will appear as all five up so far are amazing silvers).

I too queried Parsia's C melantherus, as mine have had striking black anthers. However, Janis Ruksan's World of Crocus says that there are large populations of C. Melantherus which lack black, and as far as I'm concerned WoC is the Newest Testament.

[Lesley Cox]

Thank you for the correction Anita and for the information. I don't have the Ruksans book yet. There's so much variation within each species it's very difficult for the non-botanist to make a decision sometimes.

[Lesley Cox]

Are your seedlings something from a tree maybe Vanozzi?

[vanozzi]

hmm....it's so long ago now, but I seem to recall it was a climber

[vanozzi]

The seed is very similar to armaryllis  in texture and size, Parsla
I've checked through this site theseedsite.co.uk

[anita]

Thank you for the correction Anita and for the information. I don't have the Ruksans book yet. There's so much variation within each species it's very difficult for the non-botanist to make a decision sometimes.

If you love crocus, ask Santa for a copy of World of Crocuses. A lifetime's passion rolled into one book. Great maps so you can see species distribution and generally there are multiple photos of each species so you see colour variants and things like C. melantherus without black anthers! The verbal descriptions are really detailed and helpful too.

[rob krejzl]

Paul,

My best guess would be Cobaea scandens, which can remain viable for quite long periods. Trouble is, I don't remember Essie growing it. Perhaps it would be best to wait until you see some true leaves?

[vanozzi]

I think you nailed it Rob, though I too don't remember seeing it in bloom.Essie must have been on a ''climber roll'' that day, as she also gave me seed of Bomarea .Those are the small red seed on the plate.I doubt if they will germinate now, as I read if they dry out, they're kaput.

Btw Rob, the Lilium japonicum seed that I promised was a no go this year.My stock plants are no more.However, I have seed in the freezer if you still want them?Do you want any other lilium seed?--PM me if so.