Crocus: October 2010

[Armin]

Janis,
in the last lot of your pictures I like the C. pulchellus with the rounded pedals, very lovely with nice inner markings and dark yellow center.

The stunning C. pallasii who's looking like a C. mathewii, could that be a (natural) hybrid between the two species?
Both are close related in the phylogeny systematic.

[Tony Willis]

The stunning C. pallasii who's looking like a C. mathewii, could that be a (natural) hybrid between the two species?
Both are close related in the phylogeny systematic.

I think the C. pallasii is straight C. mathewii. The area where it was collected is a well known area for C. mathewii.

[Janis Ruksans]

Janis,
in the last lot of your pictures I like the C. pulchellus with the rounded pedals, very lovely with nice inner markings and dark yellow center.

The stunning C. pallasii who's looking like a C. mathewii, could that be a (natural) hybrid between the two species?
Both are close related in the phylogeny systematic.

By Brian Mathew most possibly the best would be to join C. mathewii, assumaniae and pallasii under one name. This pallasii was not collected by myself, so I don't know really how its locality merge with area of mathewii or how far it is. Area of mathewii is larger than earlier supposed. It is first flowering and first flower from this stock and I'm something confused by its appearance, and I something tend to opinion that it could be mathewii. But last autumn I showed picture of cancellatus mazziaricus, flower of which looked just as mathewii. C.pallasii 'Homeri' has dark throat, too + black anthers. So, question remains.
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

In this entry few pictures from today - Crocus cambessedesii and close up of lilac form and variability in Crocus cancellatus - not easy to decide which one is best. BATM-392 I'm showing again - now flowers are more open.
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

In the last entry of today two forms of Crocus kotschyanus - quite similar
Crocus niveus from Peloponnese - one of quite blue specimens, not the darkest blue, but very early
Crocus pulchellus Albus is less common than speciosus Albus, but by my opinion more spectacular although flowers are smaller.
Most striped form of speciosus what I ever saw was named 'Blue Web' by Leonid Bondarenko
And at last - two yellow throated C. speciosus forms - the first was collected by me in Iran, the second is C. speciosus subsp. xantholaimos. The throat of the last of course is deeper yellow, but separating of both isn't easy if you don't know origin of your plant.

[goofy]

hello,
just another spot with C. speciosus 'Albus'



single flower with visitor, early in the morning



enjoy

[Tony Willis]

Janis a beautiful series of pictures. I have only one new one open today

Crocus robertianus

[Gerry Webster]

Crocus hadriaticus

This is the form distributed by Anne Wright which is the finest I know. It is very floriferous.

Autumn crocus seem especially good  this year with large flowers & lots of them.

[David Nicholson]

Very nice Gerry, and well grown too.

[David Nicholson]

Pristine Tony.

[Oron Peri]

This morning i went once more to the Negev Desert to see this Crocus.
In flora palaestina this crocus is described as Crocus damascenus.
[which is cancellatus ssp damascenus]

In the last years we call it C. ramonensis as for the area where it grows [Ramon], but we haven't described this species yet to give it a new name.
It might also be a new ssp of cancellatus but corm looks different to other ssp.
it grows at altitudes of 850-1100m.
Stamens are unproportionlly long, while the style is short, division  under the base of the anther.
After a few hours anthers embrace the style firmly, i do not know if it happens after the flower was already pollinated in order to protect the style or is it self pollination.

The corm quite uniform, many layers of long netted tunics and a long neck, roots base is pointed.
1-3 flowers [mostly 1-2].
It is isolated and restricted to a relatively small area.
Probably a record for longevity!!

[Armin]

Lovely crocus pictures from everybody.

Tony,
your C. robertianus is a beautiful one!

Goofy,
nice shot of the C. speciosus 'Albus' with the bumble bee.
I'm curious. From where in Germany are you? Who is behind 'Goofy'  

Janis,
thanks for your feedback on the C. pallasii /C. mathewii issue.
Another question raised at me when looking at your beautiful C. cancellatus RUDA-009.
Do you consider it as a subspecies pamphylicus due white anthers or could it be a hybrid with C. pulchellus too?

Oron,
I'm impressed how this 'desert crocus' can obvious flower without any visible roots. Amazing how it can manage water balance.

[Oron Peri]

These are the leaves, 2-3, flat on the ground, waxy.
I some years if rain is not sufficient they do not appear at all, from 2006-2008 we haven't seen leaves due to the drought.

[Oron Peri]

Oron,
I'm impressed how this 'desert crocus' can obvious flower without any visible roots. Amazing how it can manage water balance.

Armin,

This is not the only Crocus to flower in our region without having new root; C. pallasii, hermoneus and cancellatus bloom before they receive any rain when soil is dry as a rock.

[Armin]

Oron,
more fascinating. How much rain (in mm) falls in average in the Negev desert?