Crocus January and February 2019

[Gail]

Lovely flowers.
One of mine, Crocus heuffelianus 'Drina Marvel'

[Steve Garvie]

Crocus minimus ex Bavella, Corsica



Crocus thirkeanus



Crocus cvijicii



Crocus scardicus



Crocus vernus var. leucorinchus -that’s what it says on the label but it looks like a Crocus heuffelianus to me.

[Maggi Young]

I'd vote for  heuffellianus too, or  perhaps  vernus  heuffellianus if I  had no shortage of ink!
On the Plant List,  Crocus vernus var. leucorhynchus Sabine is given as a synonym of Crocus vernus (L.) Hill -but  it doesn't appear in IPNI.
 Names, eh?!!

[Steve Garvie]

Thanks Maggi.

Crocus roseoviolaceus


Crocus mouradii -previously known as flavus dissectus though the many branched style is not too clear in this image.

[Janis Ruksans]

I just returned from Portugal. I was invited to join small group of daffodil lovers and I really enjoyed them growing on rocks. We found some very exclusive things, too. My target was re checking of Crocus duncanii, especially after Kerndorff's article in Stapfia putting under doubt this very special crocus. Now the pine forest at its locus classicus was cut off, but Crocus duncanii was in full bloom very well showing its main specific features - very narrow, elongated flower segments, deep position of corm in soil with long tunics neck. The position of stigma was not so constant, now only 2 observed plants had stigma overtopping anthers. When I discovered this crocus it was just opposite. But my observations showed that this is very variable feature and more depends from age of flower.
But the most interesting was pH level. Of course - C. duncanii as plant from pine forest had very acid soil pH around 5, but the same was the soil where in completely different conditions were growing Crocus salzmannii and Crocus clusii. The universal indicator solution used on small pinch of soil coloured red - indicating very acid soil.

[Janis Ruksans]

Two days ago I returned from Portugal trip. Unfortunately I got some flu and only yesterday for few minutes visited greenhouse for some pictures. In this entry some Crocus korolkowii seedlings of unusual colour. Possibly they are hybrids. All were marked last spring.

[Stefan B.]

Perhaps it is Crocus korolkowii 'Snow Leopard'

[Janis Ruksans]

Perhaps it is Crocus korolkowii 'Snow Leopard'

One of them is something similar to Snow Leopard of Grimshaw, but not the same. I'm attaching here picture of Snow Leopard.

[Janis Ruksans]

Here some from Iranian Kurdistan. Two very similar gatherings, at present seem very close to Crocus iranicus, but must to check other features.

[Janis Ruksans]

Some more Central Asian crocuses. The first is pink form of C. alatavicus. Then very old cultivar of C. korolkowii 'Dytiscus' selected from wild material by E.A. Bowles. Following 3 show two hybrids (?) selected by Augis Dambrauskas, but I suppose that they are mutations of C. korolkowii - Lemon Alatau (Augis suppose that bee brought pollen of C. alatavicus) and 2 pictures of 'Snow Tiger' (supposed hybrid with michelsonii).

[Janis Ruksans]

On this entry - Crocus antherotes received by me from Dirk and
Crocus biflorus from near Craco in Italy.

[Janis Ruksans]

Crocus youngiorum in full bloom yesterday afternoon when it was sunny.

[Stefan B.]

Awesome collection! 

[Maggi Young]

Crocus youngiorum in full bloom yesterday afternoon when it was sunny.

Very exciting for Ian and I to see this!

[Janis Ruksans]

Started mass blooming of crocuses in greenhouse but outside in protected spot the earliest came out C. korolkowii. Great surprise for me was flower buds of C. atticus in outside garden. But this afternoon I used some hours of sun for pictures and garden notes. In total 420 shots were done and today the first 5 here. Pity, that I remain the last crocus forumist as most likely in rest of Europe Crocus blooming already finished or is close to it.
The first is Crocus sieberi hybrid Hubert Edelsten. Its mutant George only shows tips of buds out of soil, but blooms something similar to it wild form from Omalos, Crete.
Next is Crocus muglaensis
After that one aquisition of Crocus caricus - one of the most beautiful wild species
and as last - Crocus kurdistanicus from Iran got from Jim Archibald.