Crocus March 2018

[sokol]

Small flowered Crocus vernus from Mt. Biokovo in Croatia. All are from the original seed collection and astonishing uniform



Crocus versicolor





Crocus violaceus



Does anybody know which species this is? It is from Ravon Kulk deseert in Afghanistan.

[Janis Ruksans]

Here new frost-wave came, too. Tonight we had minus 10 C. Here some pictures maid few days ago. Many other activities not allow to work with pictures, to label them, select for Forum and resize the selected ones.
In this entry
At first Crocus demirizianus  - the first my own collection, the next - from type collection of Osman Erol
Then 2 pictures of Crocus ionopharynx  - the first type gathering of HKEP, next from Ibrahim Sozen
The last - Crocus katrancensis from Koru Dag JATU-057

[Janis Ruksans]

In this entry good picture of hybrid (?) between korolkowii and alatavicus, may be mutation.
Then Turkish Crocus micranthus (identity checked by DNA)
Then 2 pictures of Crocus minutus striped form. Originally was collected as danfordiae, but for its white stigma was relabeled as C. minutus. It is very unusual form with striped flowers - no such were listed in original description of C. minutus and not such colour known between danfordiae s.l. Most interesting that it replies perfectly by seeds even from open pollinated plants/
The last - one of the most attractive species Crocus roseoviolaceus TULA-001

[Janis Ruksans]

Again passed some time before I found time to put some pictures on forum. My wife just published beautiful book (in Latvian) - Phlox - about growing, breeding and cultivars of large garden Phlox paniculata and related species with hundreds of pictures - so now we have invitations from various gardening groups all around Latvia for presentation of book and signing of copies. So additional job attached.
On last Friday I had four visitors from UK, journalists from Latvian gardening magazines, yesterday we had meeting with my wife's books readers, but today is Open Doors for Crocuses - around 200 announced arrival. So I'm using morning hours, whilst still everything is frozen (we had minus 10 C last night) to prepare some pictures.
I'm starting with Crocus isauricus from Belpinar Beli, near Taskent. There are 2 forms - one type gathering, another from Gothenburg with something different colour.
And as last in this entry - another picture of Crocus kartaldaghensis

[Janis Ruksans]

In this entry one of most beautiful crocus from so named "chrysanthus" group (really many of them are very distant genetically and as common  for them has only corm tunic type and flower colour) - Crocus muglaensis
Next is Crocus rhodensis from Rhodos Island in Greece - variability in anther's colour
And as last in this entry - Crocus salurdagensis HZ-8837

[Janis Ruksans]

In this entry 3 something distant "neighbours" collected during same trip for search of C. lydius. Actually only one of them was identified without any doubt, because it was new species found by our small team - it is C. sozenii, very well separable by leaves and corm tunics from all relatives.
Another about identification I'm quite sure is C. simavensis. Problem is - it was collected at different altitude, at different place - pity, but this is so common with new species published by HKEP - the data is so incorrect... But by morphology it looks correctly identified.
The last by morphology looks very close to C. mysius, but was collected where C. lydius "must grow" (we didn't find any similar to lydius there during 2 days long search).

[Janis Ruksans]

The first in this entry is typical Crocus biflorus, collected near Palermo in Italy
Then 2 pictures of Crocus tahtaliensis
Then picture of my famous Crocus tauricus "red" form
and as last new species from Central Turkey

[Janis Ruksans]

The last entry this morning - day is sunny and I must run to greenhouse to open upper window to decrease temperature and first visitors are coming, too.
The first is Crocus thracius - from Turkey in Europe - something similar to C. pallidus, but both are well separable.
Then Crocus xanthosus from Kuruova Beli in SW Turkey
Then Crocus yakarianus  - type collection
And last two - are Crocus ziyaretensis - N and W from Antalya

[Harald-Alex.]

Crocus korolkowii and Crocus tomasianus in snow and -7°C on 18.3.2018

[Yann]

What a contrast in the snow!

well Janis except saying it's beautiful i can't find my words 

[Janis Ruksans]

Passed very heavy day. We had the first Crocus Day in our nursery. The first visitors came already in Friday (from UK), but officially we opened for everyone on Sunday. The first visitors came at half past 10 in morning and during all frosty (outside during day was minus 3 - 5 C, in night minus 11 C) and very windy day people came and came enjoying crocus flowers and wonderful aroma filling the greenhouse where temperature was around + 15 C. In total we had around 200 visitors, not so much comparing with last years Peony days when we had more than 1 km long line of cars on roadside and much more than 1000 visitors during one day. Now there were all the day 3-5 cars staying in our parking place, but there were non-stop talking, explaining, showing etc. all the day up to 5 o'clock in the afternoon. Some Crocus books were sold, too. It was amazingly how evenly visitors came - one car left, another came in. A lot of pictures on Facebook put Una Ulme (I even was surprised - how nicely all this look). In evening I was so exhausted that even glass of wine was for me without taste and I was dreaming only about bed. By myself I made more than 600 pictures of crocuses and some other plants, but not so many from visitors, I pictured few last visitors at very end only.
Between great joys was the first blooming of new species of reticulata Iris from Iran (picture attached) and regardless of all I found time for herbarium of one new Turkish Crocus species, too. Another is interesting mutation from purple Turkish Iris reticulata. Will see how permanent it will be.

[Janis Ruksans]

Some early morning pictures when flowers still closed. In this entry selected forms of Crocus abantensis.
Alba - is the lightest, but not purest white, always slightly bluish shaded, but this year (may be due cold weather) it is more bluish than usually, especially when closed.
The last is the greenish toned selection, pictures later yesterday. By colour quite close to baytopiorum and if not the yellow throat, I would be doubtful about correctness of name.

[Janis Ruksans]

Some more pictures from Crocus Days in my nursery, yesterday. Foto - Una Ulme (on the first picture)

[Janis Ruksans]

In this entry at start picture of me sent to my address by one of visitors of Crocus Day
Then some forms from various localities of Crocus danfordiae

[Janis Ruksans]

Crocus antalyensioides cream form - certainly hybrid received from Antoine Hoog - 2 pictures (not impressive in bud, but very nice when open)
Then true C. antalyensis (not far from Antalya to W)
And last two - Crocus athous - this year huge flowers