Crocuses in December - 2008

[Janis Ruksans]

Here's a link to what I have as Crocus korolkowii 'Mountains Glory', but perhaps should be 'Mountain Glory'. If it splits I will try some in the garden. http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.paghat.com/images/crocosmountain_midjan.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.paghat.com/crocusmountainsglory.html&usg=__EPdEM4CJOkimBZbbzs5h6zeY0PI=&h=325&w=266&sz=20&hl=en&start=1&tbnid=dgRIAhNKqj2GcM:&tbnh=118&tbnw=97&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcrocus%2Bkorolkowii%2Bmountains%2Bglory%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG

I named it 'Mountains Glory'. It is good increaser and up to winter 05/06 (or 06/07) I grew it only outside. That winter most of crocuses seriously suffered from -30 C coming in February completely without snow. Really crocuses bloomed in January. It was too hard for them. From C. korolkowii cultivars really didn't suffer only 'Lucky Number'. From others - heuffelianus, malyi, cvijicii.
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

Thanks for the background info on C.tauricus and the marvellous pictures. They show nice markings and color variation within the species.
Is it/will it be available sooner or later for us croconuts to purchase? 

I must to see how develops its seedlings, I'm planing to include them in catalogue 2010 or 2011. In nineties I had more than 500 corms and lost all from rodent attack. Left 2-3 corms from which I slowly raised up the stock again. I had even named varieties of C. tauricus lost in same way. In the same winter I lost ~ same number of C. biflorus adamii from Tbilisi, Georgia - for same reason. It was very special form described by Georgian botanists as species, but in 2007 when I again visited same spot - it was under buildings, grazed lawn and paved footpasses.
Janis

[dominique]

Not very original but always fine and early flowering, Crocus sieberi Bowle's White

[Luc Gilgemyn]

They look great Dominique - you seem to have some sun as well !

[HClase]

This one appeared in my cold frame in a pot of "lost corms" about 10 days ago, but it was too cold for it to open out there and I brought it in on Christmas Day.  I've been too busy with "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" until now to get around to dealing with the picture.  I think it must be a rather late C. speciosus 'Albus' - nothing exciting.  (I still have some C. laevigatus in bud stage too.)

[ashley]

Sun today at last after mild, overcast weather.  However temperatures stayed low so crocus were reluctant to open.

Crocus adanensis
C. baytopiorum – many thanks Anne
C. imperati ssp. imperati ‘De Jager’
C. vitellinus

[mark smyth]

Ashley your plants are well ahead of mine

[tonyg]

This one appeared in my cold frame in a pot of "lost corms" about 10 days ago, but it was too cold for it to open out there and I brought it in on Christmas Day.  I've been too busy with "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" until now to get around to dealing with the picture.  I think it must be a rather late C. speciosus 'Albus' - nothing exciting.  (I still have some C. laevigatus in bud stage too.)

Yellow throat is not typical for C speciosus. Are any leaves present?  Might be niveus if so .... but I doubt it as you know your crocuses Howard!

[Janis Ruksans]

Ian - it would be very useful if you could give a reference for this. Many thanks.

A phylogeny of the genus Crocus (Iridaceae) based on the sequence data from five plastid regions.
Gitte Petersen, Ole Seberg, Sara Thorsoe, Tina Jorgensen & Brian Mathew.

Published In TAXON 57 (2)
Publisher: International Association for Plant Taxonomy



http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/iapt/tax/2008/00000057/00000002/art00010

Ian,
Many thanks for your help with article about new phylogenetic tree of Crocuses.
It cleared some of my doubts about interrelations between Crocus species and raised more questions. Unfortunately the authors still didn't finished job and still much more researches on molecular level must be done to make new system. On other hand - it confirmed my opinion that gardeners in such complicated group as Crocus need some different, more easy grouping system than botanists. When we compare Bowles' grouping in his Handbook with Brian's in his monograph, we can see that species identification is easier in Bowles version (although now out of date). Now we can much easier to understand why some species are making hybrids so easy and some not. Unfortunately only two samples of C. chrysanthus were checked and C. flavus dissectus didn't included. Hope that authors will continue researches ending with new system.
Another article about Sternbergias forwarded to me by Ian was very useful for me, too.
During visit to Greece I was confused because couldn't identify undoubtedly Sternbergias - one clump seemed to be sicula, another lutea and between them a lot of intermediates. Greuteriana I know only by plants got from other growers and in my collection they looked different from lutea/sicula, only one of last acquisitions got under name sicula I renamed as greuteriana this autumn. But all this "carousel" with stocks as lutea angustifolia etc. now is clarified. So really possibly the best would be to regard them as garden forms of one species. Still not so certain about greuteriana but it is for too little knowledge about its variation range. Extremes of course are very different.
Janis

[Michael J Campbell]

The sun came out today and opened  the flowers on a couple of the crocus pots.
Crocus baytoporium  1
Crocus baytoporium   2

[Jim]

Great pictures Ashley and Michael, I keep going back to the C. adanensis. I have seedlings coming along but won't be flowering size for years. I am amazed how much farther along you guys across the pond are. My baytopiorums are just coming out of the ground as well as many other spring bloomers.
Jim

[Janis Ruksans]

This one appeared in my cold frame in a pot of "lost corms" about 10 days ago, but it was too cold for it to open out there and I brought it in on Christmas Day.  I've been too busy with "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" until now to get around to dealing with the picture.  I think it must be a rather late C. speciosus 'Albus' - nothing exciting.  (I still have some C. laevigatus in bud stage too.)

Crocus speciosus ALBUS has yellow throat, but style is multifid. See picture.
Janis

[Maggi Young]

Great pictures Ashley and Michael, I keep going back to the C. adanensis.

 I hope Ashley will give us another photos when those c. adanensis flowers open !!


I  love all these Crocus pictures... such photogenic little flowers - I am addicted, and I don't care!

[Armin]

Thanks for the background info on C.tauricus and the marvellous pictures. They show nice markings and color variation within the species.
Is it/will it be available sooner or later for us croconuts to purchase? 

I must to see how develops its seedlings, I'm planing to include them in catalogue 2010 or 2011. In nineties I had more than 500 corms and lost all from rodent attack. Left 2-3 corms from which I slowly raised up the stock again. I had even named varieties of C. tauricus lost in same way. In the same winter I lost ~ same number of C. biflorus adamii from Tbilisi, Georgia - for same reason. It was very special form described by Georgian botanists as species, but in 2007 when I again visited same spot - it was under buildings, grazed lawn and paved footpasses.
Janis

Thanks Janis,
I hope you have attacks from rodents under control for this winter season
It is always painful and annoying if such backstrokes happen.
And it is quite frustrating to realize another "species paradise" has become a victim of human activities
Unfortunately this happens to often...

Dom,
"Bowles White" always is a pleasure for my eyes

Ashley,
nice selection you show us. I keep my fingeres crossed for more sunshine so you can take more great shots from open flowers to post here!

Michael,
C. baytoporium is lovely and has this fine pale mineral blue color.

[ashley]

The sun came out today and opened  the flowers on a couple of the crocus pots.
Crocus baytoporium  1
Crocus baytoporium   2

Wonderful baytopiorum Michael; that first picture in particular is magnificent    
You must give them excellent light to keep the tubes so short and strong.

More murk here today so no chance of any crocus opening.  Being in 9x9 cm pots most have rooted through into the sand bed and I'm reluctant to disturb them for the sake of taking 'kitchen windowsill' pictures.