Crocus 2008 - Southern Hemisphere

[Paul T]

Howdy All,

So that we don't interfere further with the April thread for crocus with our autumn reports, I figured I'd start a Southern Hemisphere thread for our crocus.  I'll put some of the pics I have already posted elsewhere into here as well as new stuff.

Attached to this are 3 crocus that I have flowering at the present (the pulchellus has just sent up another flower, nicely timed to be included here as still in flower  ).... they are pulchellus, mathewii and pallassii ssp dispathacea.

[Paul T]

And now to something new......

This was purchased this year as Crocus asuminae.  From what descriptions I can find it sounds about right, but I can't find any pictures of it anywhere.  Does it look right to those in the know? 

This picture is thanks to my wife Yvonne, who took a photo of it for me while it was open today (the first time she'd used my camera, so she did pretty well, particularly given it was in a spot that made it somewhat difficult to get as for photographing).  I've seen it closed, but not during daylight hours while open, so now you've seen it as clearly as I have

[Thomas Huber]

Good idea, Paul!

And congratulations to Yvonne, Tanja still has to do their first shot in my garden 

[Paul T]

Thomas,

So does it look right for asuminae?

[Thomas Huber]

asumaniae is a very variable species, but yours looks OK!  MH?

[Paul T]

Thomas,

No actually, it wasn't.  A small place in Victoria.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Good thinking Paul !
We'll be watching this space 

[Lesley Cox]

OK, I'll put these few here, though do you think we're posting enough about Crocus to warrant a whole new thread Paul?

I'd like an ID please for this one, autumn flowering of course. I've had it for many years but thought it had died in the general chaos. But yesterday a very nice flower appeared and I picked it to photograph because of its overgrown surroundings. Side on then from above. There is very pretty feathering on the INNER petals and fine stippling on the outer. The colour is about right I think and the size in the first pic (enlarged) is right too. Sorry about the poor second pic.

[Lesley Cox]

I think your C. asumaniae is right Paul. Mine is the same, from Potterton and Martin (UK) in 1993 I think. I remember being disappointed by it originally, expecting something deeper coloured. But I hadn't progressed to becoming a Crocus Connossieur back then.

Here is C. nudiflorus, well out now and I'm finding them everywhere around the garden and in pots of other things where they shouldn't be. Can't complain though. It seeds well and makes hundreds of little grub-like stolons.


C. goulimyi is also coming along nicely. Got `Mani White' from Marcus this year but it's just showing a tiny tip.


and C. serotinus ssp. salzmannii which I still know better as C. asturicus.

[Lesley Cox]

Crocus caspius in a white form. Some are shaded with lavender on the outer petals.


And this last one I had this summer from Marcus, as C. speciosus `Oxonion' but it isn't either large enough or dark enough in the flower or the stem. Very nice but not `Oxonion.'

[Paul T]

Lesley,

Great pics.  yes, I think that we'll post enough to warrant our own thread.  Unlike the northerners which will have them regularly each month during flowering time, this one I deliberately titled as the year, not the month, so we can keep on using it throughout autumn, winter and spring as they flower.  I'd imagine that by the time we've done that there will be PLENTY of pics in here!! 

If you happen to harvest any of your weedy Crocus nudiflorus seed could I perhaps beg a couple of them?  Its a species I used to grow but lost, and was going to buy at some point in time when I remembered.  Saves me remembering I need it sometime in summer, as I for some reason forget to order it each year! 

C. goulimyi 'Mani White' is a lovely flower, much rounder than the "normal" goulimyi.  I mistakenly got another one from Marcus a few years ago that wasn't 'Mani White' (he replaced it the next year of course, as he always does if there is a problem) and it too is a much rounder flower form but it is the colour of the normal species.  Rather nice, although at the time it was a disappointment as it most definitely wasn't white!! I'm not sure whether it will flower or not this year, but I am sure I've got a photo of it from previous years if you're interested?

Can't help with your ID flower, but I have something a little similar (although darker flower I think) that I have no name for either.  Hasn't surfaced yet, but when it does I'll put it up here for IDing too.

First flower for the season on laevigatus opened today.  Was still open when I got home from work so that was nice!!    Haven't processed the photos as yet.

[ranunculus]

Lovely images as usual from our Southern Hemisphere friends. Many thanks for posting.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

I bet there's enough Crocus in the Southern hemisphere to fill this thread boys and girls !
Thanks  a lot for sharing them - after all there's 6 months to go before we see any autumn Crocus' out here.... 

[tonyg]

Just to show that I do read the posts about upside-down crocuses (OK to you its us thats upside-down ) ... Lesley, I think your mystery crocus may be a form of C serotinus.  I have seen similar here, including the slight flecking on the outside of the petals.  Some forms of ssp salznmannii have quite prominient veining, more usually the southern forms which tend to flower before the leaves appear, but of course this behaviour varies with location and the season.

[Paul T]

Howdy Croco-nuts,

Apologies for the poor quality of this picture, but the light wasn't brilliant.  First one of the season, in the garden rather than in the new crocus garden, so hopefully there are more to come. 
Crocus laevigatus