Crocus January - 2009

[ashley]

Lovely plants there Dom and Arthur.  What a difference between the outer markings on your respective forms of angustifolius. 
My corsicus are a year or so behind yours; something to look forward to .

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Luc Sorry, I would say white stigmate for my antalyensis
 

They seem to be very different indeed Dom. - maybe Thomas can comment, as it's one of his    

By the way - some great plants there Dom and Art... you people know how to make a beginning Croconut drool...

[Armin]

Super - What a greenhouse flower show
Congratulations to everybody.

Today I saw the first 3 buds of C.imperati "De Jager" in my lawn. Two of them were quite tiny and already withered.
Guess never opened due strong frost. Compared to 2008 the first "De Jager" buds opened January 20th together with C. ancyrensis "Golden Bunch".
The latter is not visible yet. Still too frosty.

With regards to the "true" C. minimus discussion does anybody heard of C. isauvicus "Spring Beauty".
It looks like a beautiful form of C. minimus. But what taxonomic is it exactly?

[Lesley Cox]

I'd suggest your pots are minimus Arthur, not sure about the rogue though. My minimus starts mid-season with the bulk of others but it is always the very kast to have flowers on, a long flowering season once a clump is established, a full two months or a bit more. I can't complain about that.

I have separated out the dark one and have 3 now. It's being a bit slow for the moment but I hope to have one or two for Thomas and....... in a year or two.

[Lesley Cox]

And then, there is the mystery of Crocus minimus 'Albus' which was sent to Australia (Otto?) by, I think, Brian Mathew and he should know what's what. I haven't seen it, and have just a single seed, not yet germinated, but apparently the size, shape and everything except colour conform to true minimus but it is pure white AND, to confuse the issue further, it is by far the EARLIEST to flower, May-July in one friend's garden. That would be Nov - Jan in the northern hemisphere.

[Gerry Webster]

With regards to the "true" C. minimus discussion does anybody heard of C. isauvicus "Spring Beauty".
It looks like a beautiful form of C. minimus. But what taxonomic is it exactly?

Armin - could C.isauvicus be a typo for C. biflorus isauricus?

[Gerry Webster]

And then, there is the mystery of Crocus minimus 'Albus' which was sent to Australia (Otto?) by, I think, Brian Mathew and he should know what's what. I haven't seen it, and have just a single seed, not yet germinated, but apparently the size, shape and everything except colour conform to true minimus but it is pure white AND, to confuse the issue further, it is by far the EARLIEST to flower, May-July in one friend's garden. That would be Nov - Jan in the northern hemisphere.

BM (p.37) mentions two albino forms: one  with a yellow unstriped exterior & another (collected by the Crooks) which has on the outside 3 purple stripes on a yellow ground.

I have an albino form of C. corsicus which is yellowish on the outside - no stripes.

[Anthony Darby]

I like Crocus minimus from Sardinia. I have C. vitellinus in flower at the moment, but the weekend has been too cold and gloomy for the flowers to open. I will try it in the kitchen.

[Lesley Cox]

My Mathew is away on loan at present. Does he mention that one white form anyway, flowers very early while "ordinary" minimus is much later?

[Gerry Webster]

My Mathew is away on loan at present. Does he mention that one white form anyway, flowers very early while "ordinary" minimus is much later?

Lesley - no mention of any difference in flowering time.

[Armin]

With regards to the "true" C. minimus discussion does anybody heard of C. isauvicus "Spring Beauty".
It looks like a beautiful form of C. minimus. But what taxonomic is it exactly?

Armin - could C.isauvicus be a typo for C. biflorus isauricus?

Gerry,
sorry - it is C. isauvicus

[ian mcenery]

Dom and Arthur thanks lovely plants keep em coming

[Janis Ruksans]

Cannot flowering time of different clones vary considerably? I am thinking of the many snowdrop varieties/cultivars that vary by months in their flowering time even within a species.

Principally you are right - the flowering time can vary much. In case with Dutch C. minimus there were morphological differences, too, but as I wrote before, I not remember to which species I went after dissecting of plant. It was almost 30 years ago. I well know that just hidden morphological features are important in determination of Crocuses, but for practical gardening better not to destroy the plant, so flowering time in case of minimus for me is the most important feature. Sorry.
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

Luc
My antalyensis is very different with white anthers

Two antalyensis - one from Sarichinar ridge in S Turkey (wild picture), another from Gundogmus - flower dissected to show white style.
Janis

[Thomas Huber]

Crocus adanensis - easy in a pot.  Has anyone tried it outside?

Mine grew outside for two years and I hope for their third year if the frost is gone.


C. antalyensis is another variable plant, like Janis shows white style and surely also
white anthers can appear from time to time. Dominique, what colour do the pollen have?