Janis Ruksans' plant collection - mostly bulbs April 2021

[Maggi Young]

Narcissus calcicola 19PTS-034 - Portugal


Ranunculus ficaria 'Double Bronze'


Tulipa dasystemon Kugart, Kirghizia


Janis Ruksans' greenhouse - photo by Sanda Bogomazova 12-04-21

[Maggi Young]

From Janis : "Waiting for the second vaccine, hoping the ′′ vaccination office ′′ chaos will not delay it. Meanwhile, I'd let the pots out, those who don't like warmth and also take photos.
Some pictures from last day."


Anemone coronaria JATU-052 - Turkey, 40 km after Finike, alt. 750 m - short form



Erythronium americanum - this spring blooms very well. Needs deep planting.


Erythronium oregonum



Fritillaria latifolia


Fritillaria meleagroides 12KZ-118 -Kazahstan, Altai, alt. 930m, very checkered form

[Maggi Young]

Narcissus bulbocodium dwarf & late blooming form


Still unidentified Tulipa sp. WHIR-157 - Iran, before Takht-e Soleyman, soon after Takab alt. 2070 m


Tulipa greigii x S-14-38


Tulipa humilis 18IRS-009 - Iran, Aligudarz to Khoramabad, alt.2956 m


Tulipa kaufmanniana Ihnachsai, Uzbekistan

[Maggi Young]

Tulipa kaufmanniana Ugam, Uzbekistan - tallest of all kaufmannianas - 50 cm


Tulipa turkestanica Schachimardan


edit  to add comment from Janis: " One of my customers asked me about locality where was collected Tulipa turkestanica Schachimardan. Unfortunately I not remember who asked me and now I try to reach him via Facebook. I got this tulip from Arnis and today met him and asked - where is this place. This tulip was collected on mountain pass at heights of river Schachimardan. More detailed reply I found after remembering about Allium schachimardanicum and in Monograph of Reinhard Fritsch about Central Asian alliums I found: (47) Allium schachimardanicum Vved., Opred. rast. Srednej Azii 2: 84, 317 (1971). —Allium "fetisso-vii" sensu Vved., Flora URSS 4: 263 (1935), p. p. min. quoad pl. Alaic. —Type: Kirgizstan: Alaijskij khr[ebet], bass[ein] reki Shakhimardan, ushch[el'e] Mashalang, v teni skal [Alai range, drainage of Shakhimardan river, gorge Mashalang, in the shadow of rocks]
So it was collected in Kirgizstan, Alai mnt. ridge, at place where starts river Shakhimardan. "

[Maggi Young]

 From Janis 16th April
 "Yesterday I was too busy watering pots and I was going for bumble-bee family for pollinating my peaches and apricots, grown instead of bulbs (I'm shortening commercial growing) in one of poly-tunnels - the first flowers opened just yesterday - now no need to "play bee" with paintbrush. So pictures are from former days."


Fritillaria assyriaca WHIR-189 -Iran, after vil. Tizh Tizh on side road from Marivan to Sanandaj via Sarv Abad, alt. 1730 m


Fritillaria bithynica R2CV-025 - Turkey, Rd from Muģla to Kale, alt. 940 m


Fritillaria chitralensis


Fritillaria crassifolia WHIR-183 -Iran, Avroman ridge, Kuh-e Sahu before Nowsud, alt. 2270 m


Fritillaria fleischeriana LST-091- Turkey, Damm near Saryar vil., alt. 470 m

[Maggi Young]

more  frits


Fritillaria imperialis T4Z-192 -Iran, Fritillaria imperialis valley, alt. 2718 m



Fritillaria kittaniae OS 1310


Fritillaria kurdica Aurea - Iran, Avroman ridge, Kuh-e Sahu before Nowsud, alt. 2270 m


Fritillaria obliqua

[Maggi Young]

Hyacinthus orientalis RIGA-053 - Turkey, after Gokbelen towards Gulnar, alt. 1100 m


Iris bucharica yellow&green form - origin unknown


Iris vicaria Tupalang - Uzbekistan, near border with Tajikistan


Muscari azureum BATM-299 -Turkey, Sakaltutan gec., alt. 1840 m

[Maggi Young]

"...Now back to the flowers. Although cruel wind and hard for Gunite to work outside, it's easier for me in greenhouses. Researching microscope crocus leaves, pollinated, photographed and continue to bring out pots - yesterday Eurasian eritrons and cyclamens.

Again back to flowers. Regardless of strong and cold wind, in greenhouse working was easier than on open field for my wife. I'm still bringing out pots with bulbs which don't like hot weather. Last Thursday I brought bumble-bee family to pollinate my apricots and peaches which just started blooming in my former bulb greenhouse."


Apricots started blooming in greenhouse


Anemone :  In wild very distant, in cultivation grown side by side Anemone caucasica hybridizes with Anemone blanda, Seedling # 20-01 is intermediate by flower size.


Brown form of Fritillaria strausii from Gothenburg BG


Ficaria verna 'Collarette'


Ficaria verna 'Double Bronze'

[Maggi Young]

Ficaria verna 'Randal's White'


Ficaria verna 'Sulli'


Iris pseudocapnoides - one of the my very first new species found at Chimgan during my first trip to Central Asia, but published only in 2008



Iris willmottiana white mutation found between seedlings



Iris zaprjagajevii now is in full bloom

[Maggi Young]

Last flowers of the very last blooming reticulata iris - Iris winkleri


Muscari pseudomuscari SLIZE-057 from Iran


Rarest and not easy to grow Corydalis gorinensis

[Maggi Young]

Tulipa humilis 16IRS-024 - Iran, near Alvand, alt. 1860 m


Tulipa humilis 16IRS-188 - Iran, Aligudarz to Khoramabad, alt. 2960 m


Tulipa sp. 17IRS-067 - Iran, Aligudarz to Khoramabad, alt. 2130 m

[Maggi Young]

"Beautiful weather and so much to do that I haven't time to work on pictures, so this morning only very few from garden, not from greenhouse."


Fritillaria raddeana in my outside rockery - the first bloomer this season


Tulipa dasystemon - here were thrown out small seedlings which in two years grew up to blooming without any attention


Another spot under birch and oak tree where used soil with some seeds in it and may be some bulb were thrown out - now turned to nice field with various Corydalis, Scilla and other bulbs


This one is from greenhouse - one of my very first selections from from Tulipa greigii, made some 40-45 years ago and named 'Sunset' (Saulriets) - excellent grower and best increaser between pure T. greigii (not hybrid with other species).

[Maggi Young]

Photos from Janis ......


Iris vicaria Tupalang, Uzbekistan, near border with Tajikistan


Muscari azureum


Narcissus calcicola 19PTS-034 - Portugal


Narcissus obessus 19PTS-005 - Portugal


Various colour forms of Hepatica nobilis from local forest

[Maggi Young]

two tulips ...


Tulipa praestans seedlings


Tulipa biflora aff 12KZ-059 from salt-steppes in Kazahstan

[Maggi Young]

"The flower festival continues, the culmination of tulips is just beginning, but other 'onions' ( bulbs) are blooming too."


"Tulipa praestans from Hodji-obi-Garm, Varzob gorge, Tajikistan, originally collected in 1982 during 39 years it gave no one offset and no seeds up to 2010 when I got another bulb of this species and crossed both. Almost incredible longevity of single bulb, only one T. fosteriana bulb lives with me longer - 44 years."



"The name Tulipa binutans means that this species twice bends flowers down - at first in buds, before opening and again after end of blooming. Quite unique feature and I can't understand those botanists who regard it as synonymous to T. biflora."



It is the best form of Tulipa hissarica - here blooming in my collection - with undulated leaves and forming up to 4 flowers from bulb. Usually blooms much earlier than other forms, but this year - as the last from my Tulipa hissarica samples.


This picture is scanned slide from 1982 - Tulipa hissarica from Hodji-obi-Garm, Varzob gorge, Tajikistan as it was found in wild.


Tulipa humilis alba