Crocus: October 2010

[Lesley Cox]

I become more and more puzzled by crocuses with every batch of photos I see.

Why is C. biflorus pulchricolor NOT C. b. pul, because it has no in the throat, so it must be C. b. alexandri, yet Janis shows C. cancellatus with no yellow in the throat, and others WITH yellow in the throat. Apparently it is variation in that case, but why not with the others? I wouldn't dream of arguing with Thomas or anyone else about IDs of crocuses, but you must forgive me for being perpetually puzzled.

[Melvyn Jope]

Lovely warm October sunshine has opened Crocus serotinus ssp clusii today.

[tonyg]

Lovely warm October sunshine has opened Crocus serotinus ssp clusii today.

A very nice form Melvyn.

[Melvyn Jope]

Thanks Tony and thank you too for your very informative talk at Woking last Thursday.

[hadacekf]

Fantastic show everyone.
Crocus speciosus in my garden. It like not much the meadow

[Janis Ruksans]

The first entry for today - Crocuses with "purple heart" pictured some hours ago when bright sun warmed up air in greenhouse. Tomorrow will come cold north air and first snow offered.
As the first I enter seedling of Crocus hadriaticus. May be not very bright, but I like its strong lines and delicate cool color.
Crocus cancellatus mazziaricus is very variable and sometimes only corm tunic allow to separate some forms from C. mathewii. It is not the brightest throat, but single one which now blooms.
Crocus cartwrightianus Purple Heart is very close by appearance to C. mathewii
And last for this entry - excellent form of Crocus mathewii.
Janis

[johnw]

One sorry nudiflorus, the only survivor in a clump that was ravaged by mice last summer.  Also kotschyanus.

johnw

[Janis Ruksans]

Now again some of Crocus cancellatus showing its variability. May be some forms were shown earlier, but those all pictures are from today.
Crocus cancellatus cancellatus in my stock is very uniform, varies only outside color - some are striped, some lighter and some even quite uniformly purple.
Crocus cancellatus subsp. lycius is so uniform, that now I would like to regard it as species. It has most branched stigma usually curved between anthers.
Crocus cancellatus subsp. pamphylicus is quite variable by flower color, but allways has white anthers.
Last two entries are not precisely identified at present (hadn't time).
Crocus cancellatus subsp. mazziaricus you can see in previous entry - it is very variable in color and in branching of stigma, some samples has almost triffid style.
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

In this entry 3 different stocks of Crocus laevigatus from Crete. All three I got from late Jim Archibald and each are different. Most surprised was by form from Omalos plain which yesterday was still in bud and looked nicely creamy yellow. Yellow shade you can see on bud below open flower.
Another 4 are Crocus kotschyanus forms. The best is from Erich Pasche (HKEP) - this one has deepest colored throat and forms leaves in autumn, quite soon after flowering ends.
JJJ-007 is very variable - from almost white (but striped) till quite deep lilac (will bloom later).
Janis

[Diane Clement]

A few crocus in the greenhouse yesterday
Nice dark style and stigma in this C banaticus ex Norman Stevens
Crocus speciosus ilgazensis same source
and Crocus salzmanii clusii, grown from seed, I'm very very sad this seems to be showing signs of virus do the 'nuts agree? 

[udo]

Dirk, it seems that some of your mathewii have a yellow throat??? Unusual.

Hagen, sorry for my late answer, i come back yesterday from my holiday
in Turkey. In the Taurusmountains 3°C, rain mixed with snow and never see a Crocus.

This Crocus mathewii is only outside a little bit yellow, inside pure white.

Janis, your seedling from Cr.hadriaticus is a fine thing.

Here a pic from Manavgat, especially for Ibrahim. You are a very important person?

[Roma]

Interesting to see all the variation in crocus species but I do not have the time or space to collect many varieties so I will enjoy the from postings on the forum.
Only two crocuses flowering here
Crocus pulchellus which flowers over a long period and from a few seeds or small corms in used potting compost is spreading over the whole garden
Crocus kotschyanus in pots.  The flowers appeared before I had managed to water them ,but I got my daughter to do it yesterday so the others should appear soon

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Another exquisite Crocus day on the forum !!
Thanks Janis, Diane, Roma, John, Franz and Melvyn for putting up this wonderful show !

[Gerry Webster]

As the first I enter seedling of Crocus hadriaticus. May be not very bright, but I like its strong lines and delicate cool color.
Janis

Janis - a very attractive flower but it seems to have white anthers. Is this just the photograph?

[Janis Ruksans]

A few crocus in the greenhouse yesterday
Nice dark style and stigma in this C banaticus ex Norman Stevens
Crocus speciosus ilgazensis same source
and Crocus salzmanii clusii, grown from seed, I'm very very sad this seems to be showing signs of virus do the 'nuts agree? 

Diane, keep this clusii isolated - may be all will be OK, only two fl. segments is suspicious, but it can be machanical damage, too as other petals seem to be completely healthy. If next autumn symptoms will repeat - then...
Janis