Crocus January - 2009

[Janis Ruksans]

The last pair - oh, my internet!
Janis

[ashley]

And all beautiful.  I look forward to seeing which of these I got from you Jānis

[mark smyth]

  I'm coming on the next plane! 

[mark smyth]

Crocus up in the garden now
Bowles White did I read it has been renamed?
vernus ex Greece
dalmaticus

[David Nicholson]

Rob says so in his latest catalogue. It's now sieberi 'Albus'

[Gerry Webster]

Crocus sieberi 'Bowles' White' (so it will remain for me - I think 'Albus' is invalid as a cultivar name)

Rather to my surprise this has remained compact so far even though light levels are still low. The photo is not marvellous - my camera on auto seems to have problems with white.

[Lvandelft]

Rob says so in his latest catalogue. It's now sieberi 'Albus'

Isn't that a different plant David?

http://kavb.back2p.soft-orange.com/kavb/kavbSG.nsf/0/c27f42fd4e17c0a0c1256c4000359b2e?OpenDocument&TableRow=1.1.0#1.1.

It is of course possible that Bowles White does not exist anymore ? 

[Lvandelft]

There is a Crocus sieberi Albus registered too:

http://kavb.back2p.soft-orange.com/kavb/kavbSG.nsf/0/ed8270b667311b4ac1256c4000349381?OpenDocument&TableRow=1.1.3#1.1.

[David Nicholson]

Luit, I couldn't open either of the Links.

Quote from Rob Potterton's latest catalogue below under the heading "sieberi 'Albus'

"............ formerly known and affectionately remembered as 'Bowles White' before those men in suits dabbled"

[Gerry Webster]

Crocus sieberi 'Bowles' White' (so it will remain for me - I think 'albus' is invalid as a cultivar name)

How puzzling. On the RHS Database 'Bowles' White' is described as a synonym for C. sieberi 'Albus'. I thought Latin or Latinised names were invalid for cultivars. Obviously more research is required.

Edit : I wonder if Bowles originally named it 'Albus' & we are dealing with priority here?

[mark smyth]

Gerry your photo looks good to me

[Maggi Young]

Both links open for me, Luit, thank you.

I do not believe there can be much doubt that the beautiful plant shown by Gerry is the one commonly known as 'Bowles white'
There is certainly some confusion as to whether or not this plant and C. sieberi 'Albus' are the same.

'Bowles White' gained an AM from the RHS in 1978  when shown by Rev. Blakeway Philips.
  Luit's link shows that C. sieberi 'Albus' was registered by  E.A.Bowles himself. The plant got an A.M.-R.H.S. 1937 and A.G.M.-R.H.S. 1992.

The 1978 award  to 'Bowles White' is documented in the AGS Bulletin, but not the 1937 one to C. sieberi 'Albus'.



As an aside, I do think that there is consderable doubt as to whether Crocus chrysanthus E.A.Bowles is still in existence ...... did we not have some correspondence on that cultivar, Luit, in connection with the Bowles Society, who were trying to track it down?

[Lvandelft]

As an aside, I do think that there is consderable doubt as to whether Crocus chrysanthus E.A.Bowles is still in existence ...... did we not have some correspondence on that cultivar, Luit, in connection with the Bowles Society, who were trying to track it down?

Maggi, my senior brains do vaguely remember there was some discussion, but don't know if I was involved.

I saw the description of Bowles White as:Throat orange, flowers large, globular, pure white.
Is this the case with Gerry's plant?

[Gerry Webster]

Luit's link shows that C. sieberi 'Albus' was registered by  E.A.Bowles himself. The plant got an A.M.-R.H.S. 1937 and A.G.M.-R.H.S. 1992.

This seems to imply that the original cultivar name was 'Albus' & that the recent name change is based on a priority rule. Does anyone have any of EAB's books to check how he refers to it there? In The Vanishing Garden by Chris Brickell & Fay Sharman they claim that EAB named the plant "Bowles' White. On the face of it this seems  a bit unlikely - too egocentric.

[Gerry Webster]

I saw the description of Bowles White as:Throat orange, flowers large, globular, pure white.
Is this the case with Gerry's plant?

Yes Luit, more-or-less. Though the flowers this year are not (so far) as large as they were last.