New Crocus Year 2020

[Janis Ruksans]

Two crocuses of today - the first Crocus nevadensis from Morocco and then 4 pictures of Crocus stevensii named by me after Norman Stevens from Cambridge Bulbs - great traveller who together with Jim Archibald introduced many new plants from wild into cultivation.

[Janis Ruksans]

Now 2 pictures of most likely new species from Iran (still must to check), then 2 pictures with open flower of Crocus kurdistanicus. The last is very similar to C. danfordiae and at present I can separate deep yellow form of danfordiae from kurdistanicus only by shape of flower segments - in danfordiae they has narrower bottom part (looks as haft), but in kurdistanicus they are ovate without haft-like base. I'm attaching here some Turkish danfordiae picture from earlier years where clearly can be observed shape of flower segments.

[Janis Ruksans]

Now two "blacks" (of course only in tight closed bud. The first three pictures are selection from Crocus korolkowii seedlings - 19-02
and another duo - Crocus gembosii selection 20-02 - even darker in bud.

[Janis Ruksans]

Yesterday we had here a little sun, followed by heavy rain today. Regardless of sun and closed doors and windows only very few crocuses slightly opened flowers. In this entry Crocus hartmannianus from Cyprus, the stock used for description of Crocus hittiticus (as subsp. of reticulatus) by Brian Mathew, another, better looking stock originally collected by Jim Archibald and another relative of Crocus reticulatus - Crocus micranthus, unfortunately not opened yesterday. And as last in this entry Crocus vitellinus from Syria, originally collected there in 2002.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Truly exceptionnal Crocus' Janis....  here's some from my (small !!!!!!) collection :

Crocus atticus 'Bowle's white'
Crocus henrikii
Crocus sieberi from Omalos (Cr)

[David Nicholson]

Lovely plants Luc

[Janis Ruksans]

 Here we had some hours of sun mixed with dark clouds and some snow. but only few crocus flowers opened. The most widely opened Crocus of really unknown origin from sieberi/atticus/sublimis/nivalis group - Bowles' White. Its throat is glabrous, so it most likely could belong to atticus; for sieberi it is too hardy; I don't think that nivalis or athous was grown by E.A. Bowles, who raised this variety, but sublimis has hairy throat. Temperature in greenhouse last night dropped to minus 1.5 C, but again warmer air is coming. Unfortunately it mostly is dark and wet. So flowers come out, stay closed and finally drops wilted. No real seed crop I can expect this season. Some crocuses from this entry already were shown, but those all are pictures from last two days. Names are under pictures.

[Janis Ruksans]

Today I again brought inside some pots with crocuses to force their opening. One of the best places where greatest variability was found was Gembos Yaila not far from Akseki in Turkey. Pity, but the places where crocuses bloomed so abundantly during my last visit there were marked and divided for building of villas. Fantastic locality most likely now is lost. Every year I'm marking clones from those early gatherings and their seedlings. Many are hybrids between Crocus gembosii from chrysanthus group published by me and Crocus which I identified as concinnus, although I'm not 100% sure about correct identification. Clone shown here was labeled under number 20-03.
Last 3 pictures are from another species published by me from chrysanthus like Turkish species (this year 3 more so named chrysanthus pots from Turkey has "red flags" fort I would not forget to describe them - two already are blooming, the third only very tips of shoots showed at present). It is Crocus muglaensis from Mugla province with distinct black anthers. I observed no one with yellow anthers in its area.

[Janis Ruksans]

Between those which I brought inside for picture was white selection from Crocus cyprius. The first picture is made few years ago when I noted its blooming between usually blue flowers (stock was raised from seeds collected wild by Jim Archibald), it was marked and now grown separately. On following 3 pictures you can see how it develops during half an hour on our kitchens windowsill. And the last picture is Crocus fauseri pictured in greenhouse, where flowers not opened regardless of some sun. Today some more crocuses I will bring inside for pictures. It takes a lot of time, pity. And afraid that seed crop will be minimal.

[Janis Ruksans]

Yesterday we had full day of sun, but still weather was cold and temperature even in greenhouse with closed doors and windows didn't exceed 6-7 C. Several crocuses opened their flowers and most of day I passed inside checking stocks and picturing flowers.
Bloomed one of the most beautiful crocuses - Crocus caricus from SW Turkey, but two interesting yellow crocuses from so named "chrysanthus" group not opened flowers and in evening I brought pots inside to picture them today. For  long time Crocus corsicus from Sardinia are staying in closed buds and didn't opened flowers even in yesterday's sun.
Unfortunately today again is cloudy and dark and weather forecast not predict sunny days during next two weeks.

[Yann]

thanks for sharing photos of these stunning crocuses.

[Janis Ruksans]

Some more crocuses from last Saturday, yesterday, today and all coming week - only clouds, fog, rain...
At first 2 pictures of C. antherotes - my own gathering and plant got from Dirk
Then Crocus brickellii - described by me, something similar to danfordiae, but stigma well overpass tips of anthers. The longest flower in background never opened and will not more open...
Next is Crocus demirizianus
and as last Crocus hartmannianus got from Oron.

[Janis Ruksans]

Again I'm forced to bring in pots to get some open flower pictures. The red label in pot means that from this stock herbarium is needed.
In this entry two acquisitions of Crocus chrysanthus sensu lato from Turkey and Crocus henrikii. The last most likely is hybrid, it was marked and separated from main stock last spring.
And as last is Crocus crewei TULA-011 - my own gathering.

[Janis Ruksans]

Sunny hours opened flowers of Crocus hittiticus which started blooming in the first days of December. Here classical sample from Brian Mathew's collection, used for description of this species, and as next - sample which I got from Jim Archibald with wider flower segments and larger flowers. By the way, yesterday noted that it started blooming (still in tight buds) also in outside garden.
Once more beautiful hybrid/mutation of Crocus korolkowii from Lithuania 'Lemon Alatau' raised by Eugenius Dambrauskas.
Then very special crocus, at present labeled as mysius aff, but could be simavensis, too. Both has very long filaments and short anthers. Not easy to separate, especially because both my samples were collected far from locus classicus locality as it was published by HKEP, but information given by them could be incorrect, too (in association with other false data published by them).
And last is yellow form of Crocus minutus, but it can be another new species, too. Its white stigma splits already deep in throat and stigmatic branches are very long, whilst in typical minutus according HKEP flowers are bluish and stigmatic branches shorter.

[Janis Ruksans]

The last crocus pictures from last weekend.
The first is new species from W of Iran, now started blooming and I will start working on it. Pictured plant was brought in for herbarium.
Next is lilac form of Crocus stevensii, published by me.
Crocus suaveolens still stay in tight buds, I think already for 2 weeks.
Surprisingly, but flowers opened one of new species from C. veluchensis group - normally it is late blooming species.
And as last is Crocus youngiorum, published by me, but originally collected by Henrik Zetterlund in Munzur Daglari, Turkish Kurdistan. Still in tight buds.