Crocus October, 2018

[sokol]

Thanks Janis for your very helpful comment.

My Crocus cartwrightianus from Evia remained open during the last nights and days und suffered because of the rain. So I did not take a picture.

[Janis Ruksans]

Between Crocus laevigatus can be found some yellow toned individuals, too. Here one of such: paler than pumilus from Crete but in bud quite well toned. Of course they all pales with blooming.
The best of Crocus mathewii of course is cultivar 'Brian Mathew'
Crocus mazziaricus from near Moni Romnou belongs to true, typical C. mazziaricus. It is growing very close to Lefkada Island - locus classicus for this species and is practically inseparable.
Yesterday was culmination of autumn blooming, so here 2 pictures of some parts from my raised beds - on the first collection of Crocus kotschyanus forms, on the second - on the left side in front C. serotinus sensu lato, further C. niveus, on right side C. turcicus gatherings.
Janis

[Steve Garvie]

Crocus bolensis -quite an impressive flower when fully open.


Crocus mathewii


Crocus cartwrightianus


Crocus nerimaniae


Crocus oreocreticus

[Janis Ruksans]

On the first picture Crocus kotschyanus leucopharynx from Dirk - excellent bloomer here.
Following four are pictures of some crocus from Crocus pallasii group growing in Turkey in Europe. I still hadn't time to check its identity.

[Janis Ruksans]

In this entry 2 more of Crocus pallasii sensu lato - this case from Chios Island.
So named Crocus polyanthus from Talish never was officially published. It something approximates C. archibaldiorum but I can't judge about its taxonomic status without DNA checking (not available at present for me).
Then two rarely seen representatives of Crocus pulchellus. The first is from Athos peninsula in Greece - locality where are growing two very local and extremely rare species - C. vaclavii and C. athous as well as still unidentified species from C. cancellatus group, C. chrysanthus and C. olivieri. Note the position and branching of stigma in this flower. Is it permanent or only seasonal variation, will show future. Actually Athos peninsula is very rich in very rare and local endemic species
On the last picture more traditionally looking pulchellus from Bulgaria.

[Armin]

It is quite a pleasure to read through the forum after some time of absence.
Great autuum crocus images from all and exiting diary from Janis. Thank you.

My highlights today after 10 mm rainfall from storm 'Fabienne':
2 seedlings in meadow: C. kotschyanus & C. pulchellus
C. speciosus and C. albus albus in the raised beds; more noses visible
C. speciosus hybrid sown as C. armeniensis autuum 2015...flowered in the 3rd year.

Still it is too much dry in general, top 4-5 cm soil is moist, deeper soil is bone dry.

[Harald-Alex.]

After the first autumn rain grows hundreds of flowers of Crocus speciosus "Artabir". In this meadow the crocus stands more than 30 years and survived in this time some years with ploughing and cultivation with cabbage!

[Janis Ruksans]

After the first autumn rain grows hundreds of flowers of Crocus speciosus "Artabir". In this meadow the crocus stands more than 30 years and survived in this time some years with ploughing and cultivation with cabbage!

May be this confirms my opinion that cultivated "speciosus" forms comes from Crocus armeniensis - growing and blooming  in Armenia on ploughed fields. On the last picture Zhirair and I on such field ploughed year ago.
Janis

[udo]

As I wrote shortly before - the first is some hybrid (most likely) of Crocus hadriaticus. There are 3 pots with seedlings and all are identical, what is normal for F-1 generation if you hybridise pure species. If they wouldn't be hybrids - there would be some splitting, because Crocus hadriaticus is quite variable. Splitting would appear in F-2 generation, too. F-2 seedlings of Dirk's supposed hybrid with sativus cashmirianus didn't split, as it would be normal for F-2 generation.
Crocus haussknechtii WHIR-202 - comes from Iran, but Crocus hermoneus ILOP-011 - from Mt. Hermon in Israel. Here they peacefully grow side by side.
Again I'm returning to Crocus karduchorum SASA-102 - here you can see - each is different. Pity, I never saw this species blooming in wild, so can judge about its variability. All my stocks comes from other collectors and growers and from Gothenburg BG.
Crocus lycius TULA-005 comes from western border of its area and I grew it at first as mazziaricus aff., but when looked more carefully - understood that it still is lycius although with longer and narrower segments and very white.

Janis, yes, plants from Crocus sativus are steril and have never seeds, but i think the pollen is fertil. Here two forms from F2 generation.

[udo]

and two other forms from F2 cross

[Maggi Young]

Rather attractive flowers, Dirk.

[Yann]

lovely photos from all of you, here still nothing to show.

Crocus are just cracking the soil and i'm watering at 3 day intervals, no doubt it's the warmest autumn since one century 

[Harald-Alex.]

May be this confirms my opinion that cultivated "speciosus" forms comes from Crocus armeniensis - growing and blooming  in Armenia on ploughed fields. On the last picture Zhirair and I on such field ploughed year ago.
Janis

Hallo Janis, thank You very much for Your comment and the informative fotos! Now I know, why the crocus have survived the plouging and cultivation some years ago! The crocus meadow as a private cultivated bed of C speciosus in the 1989 years, but in the years of the political change here I didn´t harvest the bulbs, now the are a part of my "Snowdropgarden Alex Döbrichau"! :-)
 Among the mass of Crocus speciosus I found some darker coloured exemplares with blue stripes, is this also a speciosus or an other variety? They are a little bit earlier than the mass of "normal" flowers!
-Foto 1: a flower of C. speciosus in comparision the C kotschyanus.
-Foto 2: the C. speciosus meadow during autumn-sun
-Foto 3: the darker typ of speciosus from end september
-Foto 4: the same typ from above
With great interesse I look for Your wonderful and informative fotos, Greetings from Döbrichau Harald Alex

[Catwheazle]

Two different banaticus

[Yann]

a few ones today: Crocus cartwrightianus, nudiflorus and tournefortii