Crocuses in December - 2008

[Gerdk]

With all these first class croconuts and their famous photographs I hardly dare to add some pics of my one and only Crocus fleischeri here.
Pics were taken during opening inside

Gerd

[Martin Baxendale]

This spring I succeed to collect very unusual Crocus speciosus form in Iran. By Brian Mathew's opinion - new subspecies forming leaves in autumn.
Janis

A very handsome crocus, Janis. Lovely contrasting dark veining and feathering on that light blue background colour. 

[Janis Ruksans]

This spring I succeed to collect very unusual Crocus speciosus form in Iran. By Brian Mathew's opinion - new subspecies forming leaves in autumn.
Janis

A very handsome crocus, Janis. Lovely contrasting dark veining and feathering on that light blue background colour. 

From outside the background is almost white without small veins and it got my attention since the first bud seen.

[art600]

Gerd

I have never seen such a dark fleischeri before - very nice

[Janis Ruksans]

With all these first class croconuts and their famous photographs I hardly dare to add some pics of my one and only Crocus fleischeri here.
Pics were taken during opening inside

Gerd

It is superb fleischeri. The darkest what I saw you can see on attached pictures (pictured in Turkey, spring 2007).
Janis

[Martin Baxendale]

From outside the background is almost white without small veins and it got my attention since the first bud seen.

I'm not surprised - just as attractive in bud as open!     

[Gerdk]

Gerd
I have never seen such a dark fleischeri before - very nice

With all these first class croconuts and their famous photographs I hardly dare to add some pics of my one and only Crocus fleischeri here.
Pics were taken during opening inside

Gerd

It is superb fleischeri. The darkest what I saw you can see on attached pictures (pictured in Turkey, spring 2007).
Janis

Arthur, Janis,
It seems my camera added some additional blue when I photographed inside.
In reality the flower is nearly the same colour as the plant from Janis.

Gerd

[David Nicholson]

Gerd your Crocus fleischeri is well in advance of mine.

[Armin]

From outside the background is almost white without small veins and it got my attention since the first bud seen.
[/quote]

Hello Janis,
this nicely veined form of  C. speciosus is suberb. Did you already gave (think of) a name?

In earlier postings we had difficulties to describe and show the distinct differences of various C. speciosus cultivars, especial due to the fact stock for sales are often mixed and crossbreeds with C.pulchellus appear. What you order is often not what you get.
There remained many uncertainties and open questions to the forum members.

I have the hope you might have pictures of the "real" cultivars.
May I ask you to kindly post them for the croconuts as a reference?  

Of interest certainly are
"The Conquerer"(blue),
"Artabir"(soft blue),
"Aitchisonii"(soft blue),
"Cassiope"(violet-blue),
"Oxonian"(dark violet blue)  
"Aino"(deep violet blue,darker veins)
and
ssp. xantolaimos

If you have additional cultivars to show us - please feel free to post

Hallo Gerd,
your C. fleischeri is a real beauty

[Maggi Young]

I have the hope you might have pictures of the "real" cultivars.
May I ask you to kindly post them for the croconuts as a reference? 

Why, Armin, you took the words from my mouth! Yes, Janis, can you show  us these cultivars ?

[David Nicholson]

Yes pleaseeeeeeeeeee

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Stunning pictures everyone !! 
What a great source of information this wonderful thread is prooving to be once more !
Thanks everyone !

[Boyed]

Janis,

Waht a beauty!!! Your crocus speciosus from Iran just astonished me and I am highly impressed. Thanks for posting the pics.

[Janis Ruksans]

I have the hope you might have pictures of the "real" cultivars.
May I ask you to kindly post them for the croconuts as a reference? 

Why, Armin, you took the words from my mouth! Yes, Janis, can you show  us these cultivars ?

Unfortunately I can show you only some of Crocus speciosus cultivars. Some 10-15 years ago I decided that my collection is too large (then it exceeded 2000 stocks – now it is more than 4500 stocks) and gave away to friends etc. most of foreign raised cultivars, leaving with me only my own breeds (partly) and wild species. Then Crocus collection was shortened for more than 100 names. With me left only very few cultivars, my real favourites. But now I’m growing around 700 different stocks of Crocuses.
All my Crocus cultivars then originated from 2 main sources – Ornamental plant research institute in Pruhonice (near Prague, Czech Republic) and from old, original Van Tubergen company which at that time still was run by Hoog’s family. Then stocks in this company with very few exceptions were true to name. There is publication in “Acta Pruhoniciana” vol. 33 (1975) E. Petrova. Pruhonicky sortiment krokusu v letech 1970 – 1974, 120 p. (in Czech language). Another is my book “Krokusi”, Riga, 1981, 175 p. (in Latvian). In both are descriptions of most cultivars cultivated at that time with RHS CC numbers. But, as you know, color can vary from weather, soil, temperature, light intensity (see 2 pictures of Crocus caspius, same plants – earlier under this topic).
So only few I can show you now on pictures.
Crocus speciosus Oxonian is the darkest one of all, main feature to separate it from others is deep purple flower tube, no other cultivars has such fl. tube. Unfortunately my stock is now only 2 corms (rodents!)
Very similar to it, if not identical, is cv. Aino distributed by Antoine Hoog. More about this you can read in my book Buried Treasures. I must compare both next autumn, too.
Very easy for separating is cultivar Pollux. It is one of the lightest, with flushed outside of outer petals and light yellow throat.
Cassiope has veining on outer petals outside, too. There are several very similar varieties, too. I kept Cassiope as the most floriferous here.
subsp. xantholaimos has deep yellow throat and are smaller in size, usually offered correct plants (Norman Stevens, Antoine Hoog – about other nurseries I don’t know)
Very similar to speciosus cultivars is C. pulchellus Zephyr which really is hybrid between both and better would be to list it between speciosus. It is fertile and seedlings splits in 4 groups. Greatest part is absolutely identical with Zephyr but more floriferous and vigorous than commercial stocks because it is virus-free. Now I’m growing under this name my own seedlings. There are many typical pulchellus and always few pure white typical pulchellus type and few speciosus type. My pulchellus alba originates just from Zephyr.
For your attention I add here picture of C. speciosus selected in wild (Armenia) by Zhirair and named ‘Cloudy Sky’. Of course it is true and pure speciosus but look on deep yellow throat and white anthers – using identification keys you can go only to pulchellus.
Janis

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Thank you very much Janis - this certainly shows that all previous discussions here on this subject are not surprising in view of the many, very small variations the species shows.

We're learning every day.