Crocus September 2008

[Thomas Huber]

Woow Gerry - wish I had such a beautiful niveus in my collection.
Mine are all growing outside and are still doing well - at least they did last year. Hope to see them again in the next weeks!

Two days ago the dust-dry soil was watered by me, today I have many new flowers:
- kotschyanus var leucopharynx, called C. karduchorum in trade for more than 40 years, but easy to distinguish from it by it's 3-devided style.
- a small flowered form of Crocus medius, only half the size of the Faiallo form
- nudiflorus, ex bulb-log-master, in backlight
- I agree with you, Zhirair, that many salzmannii aren't very showy, but this small beauty IS!
- same beauty in backlight
- speciosus Oxonian, the most beautiful speciosus cultivar with the dark stem

- last for today some impressions from my garden

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Again a marvelous display Thomas !!! 
No sign of Oxonion and of salzmannii here yet.. 

[Gerry Webster]

Thomas - another set of beautiful crocus. You are fortunate to be able to grow C.niveus outside - the only one that survives outside here is a trade form, others just rot. Last year I lost most of the corms of a number of seed-raised forms including the bicolored form - only 2 corms left. When/if it increases I'll send you a couple. In the open-ground trials of Autumn crocus at Wisley in the 1990s C.niveus performed badly.

[David Nicholson]

Lovely niveus Gerry. Cracking show Thomas, I really liked the kotschyanus leucopharynx, a little beauty. I share your views on Crocus speciosus 'Oxonion', here's a picture of mine from today. This has been playing cat and mouse with me for a few days as far as fully opening is concerned. I think it knows I'm going to Spain on Sunday for a week and I did want to get a picture of it before I went.

[Hagen Engelmann]

Thomas, it`s a pleasure to see your schottertrifts with such a lot of crocusspecies. Wirklich schön.
David, your pics showes that OXONIAN is real the best C speciosus. Fine.

[Armin]

Armin, Brian Mathew doesn't mention the difference between var. chrysobelonicus, var. saundersianus and var. hadriaticus
but I guess it's exact this dark stem. Anne Wright offers the plant under this name in her nursery.

For those whose Latin is a good deal better than mine here are Herbert's original descriptions. As far as I can understand it,  the exterior of the flower of var. chrysobelonicus is described as dark. According to Stearn's 'Botanical Latin', "rubro livido" would mean something like blackish red.

Thanks Gerry for support!
Same as Thomas I don't understand latin  - I asked my son to kindly translate the descriptions but he failed - to many unknown vocabulary was his excuse

Your C. niveus is beautiful It is a pity that it is not hardy outside in your climate.

[Armin]

Lovely niveus Gerry. Cracking show Thomas, I really liked the kotschyanus leucopharynx, a little beauty. I share your views on Crocus speciosus 'Oxonion', here's a picture of mine from today. This has been playing cat and mouse with me for a few days as far as fully opening is concerned. I think it knows I'm going to Spain on Sunday for a week and I did want to get a picture of it before I went.

David,
C.goulimyi and C. speciosus "Oxonian" are very beautiful crocus you show us. Congratulation!
My C. speciosum just show noses. Need more sunny days...

[Armin]

Thomas,
simply marvellous

[Gerry Webster]

Thanks Gerry for support!
Same as Thomas I don't understand latin  - I asked my son to kindly translate the descriptions but he failed - to many unknown vocabulary was his excuse :

Armin - To the best of my feeble ability, I'm working on a translation of the relevant sections. At least it keeps senile decay at bay!   

[Armin]

Gerry,
thank you in advance. I'll be glad to read your translation later.

[Gerry Webster]

Armin - I think your son can be excused, the vocabulary of botanical Latin seems to be quite specialised. When I post my partial translation maybe he can check my command of grammar?

[Armin]

Gerry, I'll give it a trial

[tonyg]

Thomas
If you show too many more pictures like those of your garden crocuses I shall either give up growing crocuses or move to Germany   Fantastich!!

[shelagh]

I realise that these pictures are no big deal for all you Crocus fanatics but I was so thrilled with them that I had to share.

Seed was sown in January 03, last year we had 1 flower this year it looks as if all four seedlings are going to flower.  Now the big question is how long will I have to wait for them to bulk up to a 6 inch pot.

[Armin]

Shelagh,
you don't have to hide your breeding success. 
Congratulation! This is a beautiful pot of C.banaticus.