Crocus Year 2021

[Janis Ruksans]

And last for today are various forms of Crocus ochroleucus from Syria and Israel - Dalton White is wonderful selection found and named by Oron Peri

[Janis Ruksans]

In this entry 2 pictures of Crocus ochroleucus Massada - from Golan Heights, Israel
and 3 pictures of Crocus melantherus in October. It still is blooming regardless of few very cold nights.

[Janis Ruksans]

Crocus nudiflorus from Spain
and 4 pictures of most likely new species from Chios Island (and could be in adjacent Turkish mainland as well) at present regarded as Crpocus cf. pallasii, what it certainly isn't and I would like to give it name Crocus homeri - legend tells that antique blind Greek poet Homer (author of Odisey and Iliada) was born just on Chios Island

[Janis Ruksans]

And last entry today - pictures of another affinity of Crocus cf. pallasii - now from Turkish-Syrian border and other three pictures are of Crocus oreocreticus

[Luc Gilgemyn]

In this entry 2 pictures of Crocus ochroleucus Massada - from Golan Heights, Israel
and 3 pictures of Crocus melantherus in October. It still is blooming regardless of few very cold nights.

The melantherus in the third pictures has 5 filaments/anthers   Any explanation Janis ??

The mass of melantherus on picture 5 iw impressive !!

[Yann]

Well what a masse of crocuses photos Janis! haussknechtii look a bit like pallasus, same group?

[Janis Ruksans]

The melantherus in the third pictures has 5 filaments/anthers   Any explanation Janis ??

The mass of melantherus on picture 5 iw impressive !!

Unfortunately appearing of greater number of perianth segments is not permanent feature. It is caused by mistakes during ontogenesis of flower during summer dormancy. But some clones are more tended to this and there comes out so named "double flowering crocuses". But even those are not very constant, although from large corms some plants every year has such semi-double flowers.

[Janis Ruksans]

Well what a masse of crocuses photos Janis! haussknechtii look a bit like pallasus, same group?

Yes, it is so. Brian Mathew regarded it as subspecies of pallasii, but now general opinion is that all former subspecies must be regarded as different species and I follow this opinion, too.

[Janis Ruksans]

Now I start with Crocus lycius 14TUS-012 - regarded by Brian as subspecies of cancellatus, but it has own area, it is very constant in features and I actually can't understand why Brian didn't regarded it as separate species.
Crocus macedonicus 13GRS-015 was published by me. Earlier it was regarded as "C. pallasii" but it has different chromosome number and very long corm tunic's neck, reaching even soil surface, which in typical pallasii from locus classicus in Crimea (Ukraine) is only 2 cm long.
Last 3 pictures represent Crocus pamphylicus  - another from cancellatus group, but easy identifiable by its white anthers which in typical cancellatus are yellow.

[Janis Ruksans]

Crocus pumilus from Crete is wonderful species with tiny flowers and most "yellow" in some clones after yellow C. scharojanii and lazicus. In this entry several acquisitions. It is endemic of Crete and distributed only there. Related C. laevigatus has much larger flowers and is very aromatic, whilst pumilus is odorless.
The most yellow is clone 17GRA-013 - this season buds were distinctly yellow and even open flowers kept good yellow shade on flower segments outside. During blooming yellow fades, but this season some  hints of yellow was observable even on almost died flowers.
16GRA-196 - has paler yellow outside with dark stripes and pales to white quite soon after flower opening.

[Janis Ruksans]

Another yellowish C. pumilus with striped outside in bud and 2 forms of Crocus niveus and C. pulchellus

[StevenS]

Another yellowish C. pumilus with striped outside in bud and 2 forms of Crocus niveus and C. pulchellus

Thank you Janis for posting all these wonderful pictures; a bit of color in these grey autumn days is all one needs to lift one's mood!

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Amidst all these wonders of Janis, here are some Crocus melantherus from the Peloponnese (Gr)

[StevenS]

Dear Crocus enthusiasts,

Although I find these sold as 'C. clusii' flowers very appealing I have my doubts whether indeed 'C. clusii' is the correct name.
It's quite a vigorous grower; perhaps they are hybrids with an unidentified parent or a form of either C. salzmannii or C. serotinus?
In short I am a bit puzzled and hoping perhaps any of the more experienced 'crocophiles' recognizes it?
 

[Akke]

Crocus Laevigatus ‘Fontenayi’ does seem to like dutch weather, grey but not to cold (10C) and flowering.