Crocus September 2008

[johanneshoeller]

It is very difficult for me to grow Crocus (Fritillaria and Sternbergia) in my Alpine conditions (very wet and/or very hot/cold). Here are the first positive results after some experiments. No extraordinary plants for you but I am happy with them.

[WimB]

Art,

could your crocus be Crocus goulimyi leucantha?

[Thomas Huber]

Arthur, I'm with Wim: Your white crocus looks like goulimyi ssp leucanthus or at least a white form of goulimyi.
And what an wonderful striped goulimyi - I've never seen such a good form!!


Tony: Great to have you back for posting - we all missed your photos!

[Thomas Huber]

Here they are, special for Thomas some close one's.
Michael Hoog won with these a special Award of Merit Trial Grounds in 1999 at the dutch KAVB

Thanks for posting these photos Gerard. From the first two photos I would say that these are
two different crocus - BUT I have the same form and I've noticed, that the colour and veining
of new flowers is much darker than 2 or 3 days old flowers. Note this effect on my photos
with the younger (smaller) ones below and also in the sideshot. I've never noticed
such a dramatic colour-loss in crocus flowers!

[Maggi Young]

Hans, I am not surprised that you are pleased with these  lovely Crocus.... also very good photos of them......they have such charm!

Arthur, I too agree with Wim and Thomas.....not that anybody takes my identifications too seriously, I suspect      I do think that it is aleast possible to make an ID for a crocus, which is more than I can say for Sternbergias.... I have given up on those altogether, as I have with all the lovely Colchicum cultivars we are being shown in the Forum..... I like them, but could most be named if all labels were lost?    Why, they are nearly the same as the snowdrops!! Give me a crocus to enjoy, any day!

[art600]

Thomas & Wim

I thought it probably was leucantha, but was intrigued by the speckled sheath (not sure this is the correct botanical term).

Thomas  The veined goulimyi was given to me this year by a good friend.  I will try to capture a better photo as it is a stunner.  Origin was Monemvassia

[Thomas Huber]

Thomas, crocus nudiflorus is a real gem for me. Even very samll forms are in the cercle of my interest. It is good to have some small forms as well for camparison purposes.

Finally it's out: My smallest nudiflorus, nearly half the size of the other forms I have - an extra special for Zhirair!

[Thomas Huber]

Thomas & Wim
I thought it probably was leucantha, but was intrigued by the speckled sheath (not sure this is the correct botanical term).

Arthur I've noticed this speckling in other goulimyi's, too!

Additional note: Just had a look at my photos from last year:
Seems like this speckling is present particularly in ssp leucanthus.
ssp goulimyi has only a soft bract colour.

[Maggi Young]

No Crocus goulimyi out of the soil yet here to check speckling or otherwise!!

[Gerdk]

Photographed yesterday in the Botanical Garden of Wuppertal

A Question to the specialists: something special? 

The first was labeled Crocus speciosus - the second species had no label

Gerd

[Thomas Huber]

Gerd - every Crocus is special!!!!     Crocus speciosus and speciosus Albus!

This strong veined form is one of my favourites. I think it is speciosus Artabir.
It stands stronger than the other forms in autumn rain and wind and has a
very sweet scent.

[Gerry Webster]

Arthur I've noticed this speckling in other goulimyi's, too!

Speckling is present in all my forms of C.goulimyi, heavier in subsp. leucanthus than subsp goulimyi & heaviest of all - the young sheath is virtually black - in a bicolored form that could be either. I find that the speckling tends to fade as the flower ages.

Addition - I've just looked at 'Mani White': speckling is present but very sparse.

[Michael J Campbell]

1 Crocus tournefortii
2 Can anyone ID this one please. grown from seed as Scharojanii . looks like pulchellus but I am not sure.

[Gerdk]

Gerd - every Crocus is special!!!!     Crocus speciosus and speciosus Albus!

This strong veined form is one of my favourites. I think it is speciosus Artabir.
It stands stronger than the other forms in autumn rain and wind and has a
very sweet scent.

Thank you Thomas! You are a living Crocus-Encyclopaedia!   
Between the specials Artabir seems especially special to me.

Gerd

[Armin]

1 Crocus tournefortii
2 Can anyone ID this one please. grown from seed as Scharojanii . looks like pulchellus but I am not sure.

Michael,
your unknown crocus looks like C. kotschyanus!