Crocus: October 2010

[Janis Ruksans]

The last entry for this evening, although there are many more pictures which I would like toi show you. At first Crocus robertianus - several shots showing variability of petal color - blue and white and throat color. On the last picture of C. robertianus - specimen something resembling f. tricolor of Crocus atticus. It confirms opinion that Crocus robertianus most likely derived from C. atticus.
Last two pictures - 2 color forms of Crocus thomasii from Apulia in Italia.
Others tomorrow.
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

Today still will follow yesterdays pictures. It seem that day will be sunny, so more pictures will come.
In this entry again Crocus pallasii. There are some interesting plants.
Crocus pallasii subsp. haussknechtii is rarely seen. I collect my first true plants in Iran 2 years ago and this autumn is first flowering. As you can see that flowers has only 5 segments. May be corms still too small, may be this very hot summer still was too cold for this crocus.
Forms from Crimea in general finished blooming, but still some latecomers show their beauty.
Two forms from Turkey are quite similar (LST-050 comes from Sivrihisardag, RUDA-035 was collected nr. Gulnar)
One of the best Turkish I collected at Labranda when looked for Crocus nerimaniae. This one (single corm collected) looks as one of the best pallasii ever seen.
Of course - cv. 'Homeri' belongs to the Elite of crocuses.
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

In this entry Crocus hadriaticus seedlings. It turned that that generally white in nature C. hadriaticus quite easy hybridises in cultivation. It seems that pollen parent in those cases could be C. cartwrightianus.
Here you can see the variability between those seedlings.
Before the last picture you can see pure hadriaticus from Peloponess (PELO-023) collected by me.
At very end again Antoine Hoog's cv. Purple Heart.
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

Last entry for this morning with some Crocuses from Italy.
Crocus ligusticus is more known in cultivation as C. medius, but the last is invalid name. Here form from Mnt. Biguone, one of best seen by me.
Following are Crocus longiflorus - one of the most aromatic crocuses with marvellous fragrance filling all greenhouse in sunny day.
First two pictures show you form collected by Antoine Hoog, the last ones show you variability of species near Basilicata (Italy).
Janis

[angie]

Janis. Lovely pictures I do like the white crocus especially First Snow. I can imagine the fragrance in your greenhouse.

Graeme your crocus are looking good especially with the Aberdeen sun shinning on there happy faces.

Thanks for showing us your collection.
Angie

[annew]

Janis, a superb collection - especially 'Homeri'. Glad to have the correct name of what I have as "C. medius Mnt. Bignone"!
Just some garden crocuses out in the last 2 weeks: Crocus banaticus survived last winter well under this birch, C. ochroleucus, C. pulchellus seems to do well everywhere, C. speciosus.

[Gerdk]

Anne, nice selection of Crocus - but the Sisyrinchium is also striking. What species is it and is late flowering normal for this plant?

Gerd

[Janis Ruksans]

Yesterday regardless of nice offers weather remained too cloudy and no more pictures were maid. So I continue series from day before.
Really one of most beautiful autumn crocuses is C. caspius. Unfortunately it is not very hardy and a pair of years ago I lost all my stocks, including seedlings. With nice help of my friends Ian Young and Hendrik van Bogaert I restored them. Rik's plants represents white form of this beauty, Ian's - bluish shaded.
Still are blooming Crocus gilanicus from Erich Pasche with quite blue flowers. Gothenburg's white colored plants are earlier and finished blooming a week ago.
The best purest white Crocus goulimyi I got from Brian Mathew. It is far better than other whites of this species. In Mani White flower segments remain something rolled on sides. I don't know - is it normall for this cultivar or may be it is caused by virus?
The last in this entry is cv. 'Harlequin' selected by John Fielding. I found similar in Peloponnese and named it 'New Harlequin'. In previous season my form had greater contrast between color of outer and inner segments, but this season it is just opposite - John's plant is far better.
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

In this entry two crocus species - Crocus laevigatus - very nice small plant from Greece and Islands. Quite variable in color. Here two stocks from Crete and two from Peloponnese. PELO-012 is the bluest what I ever saw.
Crocus melantherus from biflorus group is variable, too. There are plants with striped and speckled back of flower segments, with plain yellow anthers and anthers with black connectives. Proportion is variable in different populations. Of course I more like those with black color in anthers.
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

In this entry I will start with Spanish Crocus serotinus subsp. clusii. I can't tell that I very like this stock. I'm doubtful - is it healthy or not (virus)? May be I'm too suspicious but Crocus serotinus is quite famous for its commercially available stocks which in most cases are virus-infected, especially subsp. salzmannii. It took long time for me to find healthy stocks.
The next comes from opposite side - from Iran - it is the last blooming Crocus speciosus stock (WHIR-125) - very uniform and beautiful, and the latest of this species stocks blooming with me.
And the last in this entry is Crocus tournefortii from Greek Islands (names of islands attached to pictures). The blue colored flower pictured when it starts to open and next day when flower nicely opened. It was collected by Arnis Seisums. The last stock was collected by me on Crete and it close flowers in night, so supposed to be hybrid with C. boryi. Such hybrids in some parts of Crete are quite common and noted by other crocophiles, too.
Janis

[Armin]

Janis,

thank you for showing all this marvelous and rare crocus species and forms.
Congratulation for your first C. sativus flower

Beside the rare and difficult to please species which I can't grow outside in my garden I'm warmed towards the variabiltiy of C. hadriaticus and its nice hybrids and C. robertianus. Certainly something I'll have an eye on.
Would you recommend C. robertianus for growing outside?

The C. longiflorus Basilicata is an eye catcher too - nice stripes in the center.
The white form of C. caspius is a hammer. Very lovely.

[Tony Willis]

This is a very good time to examine the new shoots on crocuses which may still be under the top dressing as greenfly gather on them out of sight.A look at just a few pots will reveal if a problem is developing and all can be treated.

An infestation can quickly develop in mild weather and so systemic insecticide is a good preventative remedy.

[Janis Ruksans]

Janis,
Beside the rare and difficult to please species which I can't grow outside in my garden I'm warmed towards the variabiltiy of C. hadriaticus and its nice hybrids and C. robertianus. Certainly something I'll have an eye on.
Would you recommend C. robertianus for growing outside?

I grew outside C. robertianus for several years without serious problems. Impossible here to grow in open garden are species wintering with leaves. All which I tried died. From leafless species here problematic is only C. banaticus - blooms too late and isn't sufficiently hardy, earlier or later I lost all its stocks planted in open garden.
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

This is a very good time to examine the new shoots on crocuses which may still be under the top dressing as greenfly gather on them out of sight.A look at just a few pots will reveal if a problem is developing and all can be treated.

An infestation can quickly develop in mild weather and so systemic insecticide is a good preventative remedy.

Never met with such problem in my nursery. For me most important now is remowing of old flowers which very easy get mould in such cloudy and wet weather. Botrytis/penicillium quickly goes down from died flowers and infects corm. So remowing is extremely important.
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

Last pictures from my "piggy bank". All the day fog changes to rain and back, muddy, wet weather.
So at first many different forms of Crocus mathewii pictured on Tuesday.
The last is the last flower of Crocus nudiflorus. It seem that late blooming happens, because plant took all power to make this multipetalled plant. It is only annual modification, not inherited feature, but impressive..., at least interesting.
Janis