Crocus March 2018

[Janis Ruksans]

When I returned from Greece I found on table amazing post-parcel with my address on top. I was extremely surprised - who sent me bulbs at this time, I nothing ordered. But inside was my own packets, posted already in last August or even in July with following slip attached:

"Hello, Last year I received plants that I did not order. Because of the birthday party the box was removed from the house and now month later I found it. I send them back to you. Hopefully you can save these bulbs and sell them again. Good luck!" Full text you can read on attached picture.

There were no senders name attached, but as inside were my own packets with order number, it was not difficult to find who send them back to me in February. There were ordered and despatched 11 items and 9 of them were returned. Of course crocus corms dried out, but, most amazing, that order was paid completely! I'm in bulb business almost 50 years, I experienced a lot of different things, but such happened for the first time. Of course I put this customer's name in "black list". Although I had no financial losses, I don't like growing of bulbs for rubbish bin...

[sokol]

Yesterday we had the first sunny and warm enough day for the Crocus to open their flowers after a long cold period of 5 weeks. Many buds will not open at all because of frost damage last week.

Crocus harveyi ex Ikaria



Crocus alatavicus



Crocus antalyensis



Crocus katrancesis



Crocus olivieri ex Parnonas

[sokol]

Crocus atticus ex Didymo







Crocus aerius



Crocus minutus

[sokol]

Crocus graveolens





Crocus pestalozzae



Crocus salurdagensis



Crocus geghartii

[Jacek]

Very nice, Stefan. And the names... I need to buy new Janis' book to understand - this is a foreign language for me

[Janis Ruksans]

Excellent pictures, Stefan!

[Janis Ruksans]

Very nice, Stefan. And the names... I need to buy new Janis' book to understand - this is a foreign language for me

At this moment no problems, still some (around 100) copies left.
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

Finally Crocus season started with me. Last night was only minus 6 C and at 10 o'clock in morning, when outside temperature rise to minus 2, but in greenhouse it was +6 C, I started taking off the winter cover and opened crocus beds. Others still left under cover as I'm still not in the best shape. There cover will go away tomorrow when I will have helper who will bring away cover sheets to shed.
So many crocuses are in bloom. Some I just pictured but when I will show those - I really don't know, I will try as soon as possible and as much will be possible. There are so many...

[Janis Ruksans]

I'm starting with 3 Iranians
Crocus inghamii
Crocus iranicus
Crocus reinhardii
and then 2 poor quality flowers (they bloomed under cover since start of January) - both I got from Eugenius (Augis) Dambrauskas. Both are reported as hybrids between korolkowii and alatavicus (Lemon Alatau) and with Crocus michelsonii (Snow Tiger). Are they really hybrids - who knows, both were grown up from open pollinated seeds, so could be mutation of korolkowii, too. But they really looks as hybrids.

[Janis Ruksans]

Some more pictures of today. At first some Iranians
17IRS-046 seem to be very close to C. iranicus, but could be C. zagrosensis, too - will check when leaves will be fully developed
17IRS-051 - seem to be new species (2 pictures) - quite different from other Iranian's
17-062 - could be another new species, but quite doubtful - again must check leaf morphology and smaller details
The last in this entry - Crocus gunae

[Janis Ruksans]

Now some from Turkey
This one I labeled as mediotauricus and it comes from this region, but is it so, I'm not sure. It was collected accidentally between C. henriki.
Crocus minutus is similar to C. danfordiae, and it is separable by white stigma. HKEP characterised it as species with white and blue flowers but in Gothenburg is grown this yellow one (and another with white-blue striped flowers, not blooming yet).
There are no doubt when you try to identify Crocus muglaensis - it black anthers are repeated only in some forms of Crocus gembosii (hybrids), but muglaensis has invariably black anthers.
Crocus uschakensis has black colour in flowers, too but it is hided deep in throat, as you can see on this picture.
And again one more picture from Iran - Crocus reinhardii

[Janis Ruksans]

The last entry for today.
When you are buying crocuses from other grower, you never can be sure, that you got ordered one.
On following 4 pictures are crocuses received from famous grower under name of C. alexandri as collected near Drama in Greek Macedonia. Unfortunately only 2 were undoubtedly true to name (on the last picture), one (the white one) - possibly albino of alexandri, other all are something different.
Last picture again  show you my Crocus beds this afternoon. Outside now is minus 4, weather broadcast not offers colder than -7 this night, so I hope crocuses will not be damaged.

[Janis Ruksans]

I'm still not in best shape, so more time passing in bed and only making short visits to greenhouse for some pictures. Not easy to work at computer, too.
Now here 2 Iranians, quite different from others
and Crocus adamioides from Turkey in Europe - another form has striped flowers, but they still were not in best shape.

[Janis Ruksans]

In this entry Crocus calanthus from HKEP
Crocus caricus - one of the most beautiful species from SW Turkey
Then seedling pot with lost label - most likely it is henrikii, although flowers are smaller, but in any case very beautiful
and last in this e4ntry is Crocus crewei - at first most witdely distributed form and then
extra beauty selection of Ibrahim - Hot Chocolate

[Janis Ruksans]

Another beauty from SW Turkey, known only from one isolated hilltop is Crocus fauseri - here 3 pictures of it
Then one of most impressive selections of Crocus gembosii, may be natural hybrid with neighbouring blue species, regard;less of its name - is it mawii or very similar concinnus according HKEP, or C. isauricus according Osman Erol
Then true C. henrikii from locus classicus