Crocus March 2018

[Janis Ruksans]

In this entry some selections from Cretan Crocus sieberi. Included mutation of Hubert Edelsten - 'George'- this year distinctly;y darker than its parent.

[Janis Ruksans]

And here selections from Crocus versicolor. In XIX century there were at least 18 cultivars of this beautiful species registered. Now is none. May be some will come from those?

[Janis Ruksans]

Again several samples of single species - from various localities. In this case Crocus veluchensis. Some looks very similar, some distinct. Several only started to show out noses.

[Janis Ruksans]

I hope today finish with the pictures from March to open new topic about April.
The first 3 pictures shows some variability of Crocus simavensis aff. from Ulus Dag 13TUS-038 - only 3 corms were collected (supposed to be C. chrysanthus) and all turned different.
Next Crocus sp. is something similar and was collected between Edremit to Balikesir - by length of anthers to filaments. In this region several interesting crocuses are growing, but data about areal of distribution is so approximate, that not easy to find something. Always it is great luck.
The last is Crocus tahtaliensis.

[Janis Ruksans]

In Erzincan Province N of Munzur Dag are growing several crocuses quite similar to C. sakaltutanensis - are they the same or only related, can be confirmed only by DNA - difficult at present for me.
Crocus taseliensis is the last from "biflorus" crocuses in March series of pictures and seem that no one will come in April as the last already finished blooming. There are intermixed forms with black and yellow anthers in same population. All my samples again are collected in some distance from mentioned locus classicus but morphologically are inseparable from type (at least according published description), although those from W part of area (as I understand it) - RUDA-008 and 020 - looks something different.
This form of Crocus reticulatus was collected in Georgia, N from Krestovi Pereval on Georgian Military Highway on very grassy "meadow" positioned on steep slope between rocks
The last in this entry is C. scepusiensis from very South of Poland.

[Janis Ruksans]

Nothing very special left.
The first is C. suaveolens from Thomas Huber
Then C. sublimis from Republic of Macedonia and famous cultivar of it 'Tricolor'.
Follow Crocus tomoricus aff. from Greece and related to it
C. veluchensis from Mt. Ossa in Greece

[Janis Ruksans]

One more "biflorus"was overlooked - it is Crocus weldenii from Slovenia
Then 3 colour forms of crocus which now brings name of C. vernus, but earlier was known as albiflorus
And last here - beautiful form of Crocus tommasinianus from John Grimshaw - 'Picta'.

[Janis Ruksans]

And now came time for the last "March" entry
Two hybrids - from x leonidii 'Ego'
and from tommasinianus mine 'Yalta'
Last picture shows virus infection symptoms noted only on picture - fortunately flowers not wilted and it was possible to destroy this plant, but other in pot was marked as suspicious - to keep separate. Fortunately it already was kept separately, because this stock was bought (received) quite late last autumn when all my own crocuses was already repotted, so its pot was placed in some distance from other crocuses.