Crocus January - 2009

[I.S.]

Janis thank you very much.
The history of C. boissieri was very interesting for me. I couldn't see anything for flowering time!. I think you are sure for spring flowering species! The area seems very clear.

[ashley]

Nice plant Michael.  It will be interesting to see whether the black stigma carries through in seedlings.

Sunny here too , for almost the first time since around St. Stephen's Day - and I'm away from the greenhouse!

[I.S.]

Janis I just checked from net that cave. Size of cave, the church and masque, they are all right. It is very cloase  to sea and only 150m altitute! As Gerry says for a spring crocus is not very interesting, for autumns might be!
But for flowering time you may be right usualy the spring specieses are flower with long leaves. Second thing is mostly the specieses from low altıtute have more broad leaves!

[mark smyth]

Sunny here today also and very warm sitting here with my back to the window

Janis asked a few days ago about the size of my Crocus l. dark form/late form. The lagest flower is 5.5cm across.

[Michael J Campbell]

Another one just opened today.
 
Crocus imperati ?

[art600]

Michael

What a stunning colour   

[mark smyth]

I always show Crocus imperati when I can in lectures. It always gets loud gasps.

[mark smyth]

Here's my C. michelsonii again fully open by bring it inside. The closer shot shows some male bits present on the petaloid stamens.

My first Crocus laevigatus fontenayi shown on December 31st was very elongated but the flowers that were in bud are perfect.

Among my Crocus chrysanthus 'Uschak Orange' is one with an orange style. It also lacks the black bases to the anthers. Is this a rogue bulb? The colour is the same dark orange. My camera doesnt like the colour.

[Lesley Cox]

Lovely crocuses from everyone. High summer here is NOT a crocus time so all of these are a delight at this hot and dry time of year. (Well, it's supposed to be hot and dry. chilly and damp today but never enough rain to be more than a nuisance.) Anyway, the crocuses help to keep my spirits up and I watch my primulas slowly withering.

[mark smyth]

Lesley do you collect water? A local grower has dug their own reservoir/pond for watering plants

[Lesley Cox]

We do indeed collect water, from our house and shed roofs and this is everything we have. We do have a boggy bit where a spring would be if it were cleaned out (it's a long way distant from the garden) but no-one is allowed to do this now or to sink a bore because over all, and for years now, the ground water level is dropping so we may not deplete it further. Sometimes we collect grey water and use that but it smells so horrible after a couple of days that it has to be used daily and it's a hassle.

We can buy water though and do so, once or twice a year depending on the season. We'd have enough rain for the house if I didn't insist on watering plants and nursery. So guess who pays for what we buy?

[Janis Ruksans]

Nice plant Michael.  It will be interesting to see whether the black stigma carries through in seedlings.

Sunny here too , for almost the first time since around St. Stephen's Day - and I'm away from the greenhouse!

By mutual information from Bob (Pottertons Nursery) only small percentage of SUNSPOT seedlings has black stigmas.
Last spring I found two plants with blackish stigmas in Turkey and a pair with black connective on anthers. They all were in place where C. chrysanthus grow side by side with biflorus isauricus and hybridise in nature. I intend to try to cross Sunspot with them and those between in all possible combinations hoping to receive plant with black anthers and stigmas. Will see.
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

Among my Crocus chrysanthus 'Uschak Orange' is one with an orange style. It also lacks the black bases to the anthers. Is this a rogue bulb? The colour is the same dark orange. My camera doesn't like the colour.

Mark,
Crocus  chrysanthus Uschak Orange is one of samples of this species with chromosome number 2n=20. It was introduced by Van Tubergen when ran by Hoog's family. It was for the first time offered for sale by van Tubergen in 1973 at price 20 times higher than average price of C. chrysanthus cultivars. I got them some years later from Pruhonice Institut of Ornamental Horticulture (Czech Republic). Those plants were with orange stigma and bloomed as the first crocus in my collection of those days. Later, when Van Tubergen was sold by Hoog's family, I got few additional corms from Michael Hoog but those although of same color and flowering time was with yellow stigma. Both are fertile and abundantly set seeds with plants of both stigma colors. I don't know are they hybridising with other chrysanthus genotypes (2n=8,10,12,14,16,18). There are samples with 2n=20 in Yugoslavia and Greece, too. At that time I hadn't other wild collected chrysanthus forms. Of course I would prefair to keep as Uschak Orange plants with orange colored stigmas.
Janis

[Michael J Campbell]

Just one today

Crocus chrysanthus Uschak Orange  ex J.R.
Temp here -2c

[Janis Ruksans]

Another unusual natural hybrid between chrysanthus and biflorus isauricus from same locality (outside and inside view)
Janis