Crocus to identify? Post them here....

[Lesley Cox]

No, I don't think so Mark. It should be there still. My crocuses are well on the way to dying down now. I didn't take a picture as it was chewed when it first came out. There were a couple of better flowers later but I still didn't get to take them. I'll try to do better next year. I'm pretty sure it was much the same as yours though there could have been a couple of tiny, thin black lines at the base. Not sure now.

[Janis Ruksans]

There are (at least) a couple of clones of Crocus laevigatus with yellow outers in cultivation.  I suspect there are many many more in the wild

Quite often yellow fades with blooming to white. I have yellowish biflorus melantherus but at culmination of blooming it becomes white.
Janis

[Armin]

There were very nice yellow C.laevigatus pictures Nov. 2008, reply 42, page 3.

http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=2639.msg61076#msg61076

[Maggi Young]

Yes, Armin, so there were... those wonderful pictures sent from Jim Kee..... I had forgotten  

 Yellow throat, some yellow on the outter and those incredible frilly branched styles. 

[mark smyth]

WOW! Thanks for reminding us. Mine doesnt have frilly bits.

[Maggi Young]

WOW! Thanks for reminding us. Mine doesnt have frilly bits.

WOW is the word...... I can't believe I had forgotten about those stunners from Jim in Delaware.... they are just great, aren't they?

[Myriam Vandenberghe]

Hello everyone!  
I'm grateful to the person who directed me to your interesting site and I would very much appreciate some help in identifying my Crocus speciosums.

Beginning of September I have planted 4 different types of Autumn Crocus speciosum:
- C.speciosum 'Conquerer'
- C.speciosum 'Artabir'
- C.speciosum 'Cassiope'
- C. speciosum 'Aitchinsonii'

As I'm really limited in space I've planted them randomly here and there between other plants in containers and in the garden. Unfortunately I didn't put any labels, thinking I would recognize them once they bloom. But its more difficult than I thought!  
Images on the web are often confusing but perhaps someone here knows more about them..I would appreciate very much any input!  

1. This one I think could be C.speciosum 'Aitchinsonii' ?


2. Also 'Aitchinsonii' ?


3. Perhaps 'Artabir' ?


4. 'Cassiope' ?


5. 'Conquerer' maybe ?


6. This one I really don't know..


7. Have no clue either of this one..

Edit by Maggi : images re-posted further down the page,: some problems with the loading sytem showing them here  

[Maggi Young]

Hi, Bonitin,
Great to have you join us.

I know how you feel about telling Crocus cultivars apart.... not always easy.... luckily we have lots of Crocus Enthusiasts around here who I am sure will be able to help you! 

[Janis Ruksans]

Hello everyone! 
I'm grateful to the person who directed me to your interesting site and I would very much appreciate some help in identifying my Crocus speciosums.

May be Artabir is correct.
Janis

[Myriam Vandenberghe]

Thanks Maggi for your welcome! 

Janis thanks for having a look! I guess the strong veining is one of the features that distinguishes 'Artabir' ?

[Lesley Cox]

No pictures are appearing for me.

[Maggi Young]

Lesley, the pix are loaded from a hosting site, so that is likely the problem... here they are again.... click the pix to enlarge.....

Bonitin's photos from post #51, above....

1. This one I think could be C.speciosum 'Aitchinsonii' ?


2. Also 'Aitchinsonii' ?



3. Perhaps 'Artabir' ?



4. 'Cassiope' ?



5. 'Conquerer' maybe ?


6. This one I really don't know..



7. Have no clue either of this one..

[Armin]

Dear Bonitin,

welcome to the forum. Honestly spoken your request is a quite difficult task especial for C. speciosus cultivars.
The difficulties arise from several facts:
- speciosus is very variable and hybridizes i.e easily with C. pulchellus
- there are some old cultivars with quite vague discriptions how a the true cultivar should look like
- no (good) reference pictures
- crocus flowers have high contrast/strong veines at the beginning and fade over time
- color differences between cultivars quite often are marginal
- commercial fields are mixed up (hybridized)

Examples of KAVB (Koninklijke Algemeene Vereeniging voor Bloembollencultuur) descriptions of :
'Aitchinsonii': Flowers lavender violet, very large (since 1891).
'Artabir': Flowers light blue with dark veins, selected from Caucasian forms of speciosus.(Tubergen registered 31.12.1896)
'Cassiope': Flowers large, aniline blue with yellow base, late autumn flowering.(Tubergen)
'Conquerer': Flowers very large, deep sky blue.
'Oxonian': Flowers large, deep violet-blue (HCC 37/2) with prominent and even darker coloured veins, whole tube deep purple, throat white.(Barrs&Son, Awards A.M.-B.C. 1945 )
'Pollux': Flowers large, light violet, outside silvery.(Tubergen Awards A.M.-B.C. 1938)

My best guess is:
2: 'Aitchinsonii'
3: 'Artabir'
5: 'Cassiope' (maybe)
for the others they are lovely speciosus

Here a selection of my own C. speciosus variations

[Luc Gilgemyn]

A very brave effort Armin !! 

[Thomas Huber]

Bonitin, I would be happy to help you with identification, but I can't and I dare if anybody else can.

Apart from Armin's thoughts you have to consider the following:

Especially the speciosus cultivars habe been muddled since they appeard in cultivation (100 years
and more!!) and it is hard - if not impossible - to find reliable sources for true pictures or plants.
So even if you have plants bought 30 years ago, when the cultivar world was (probably) OK,
there were still more than 50 years of cultivation and no one can guaranty that the plants
are identical to the original clone.

My tipp: Enjoy the plants just like they are, perhaps select your own good forms and try to
increase them. My own expieriences with speciosus cultivars are that even if you buy a named form
you will have a mix-up of different plants. The best are now growing separately in my garden.