Crocus December 2010

[Hoy]

Oh, happy people even now with flowers. When I will see the first one? May be you can predict the date by attached pictures from my nursery how it looks today?
All the best in coming New Year!
Janis

Last year I had much snow and cold all winter but early March warm weather reappeared and all the snow was gone in a few days!
My lawn in March:

[Hoy]

I thought I'd take a photo of C. michelsonii in bud as it still looks fairly natural - unfortunately, by the time the flowers open, it's always very etiolated. I wish I knew how to prevent it...

Alex, have you tried negative DIF? (That is mean daytemp lower than mean nighttemp) and more light in the red and far red and/or blue light spectrum.

[Oron Peri]

Otto Janis and Ibrahim thank you  for your comments,

Janis
I do not know what is worse: your snow or our dry 26c today, i can literally see my bulbs sweating here....

Ibrahim these are beautiful species,
Is your graveolens in bloom regularly at this time of year, i can see it is from Sifilike, Mersin? in this case is it a low altitude plant?
I'm trying to figure blooms timing of this species and is there a relation to the altitude?

[Lesley Cox]

To all northern crocus growers, thanks so much for your lovely pictures, and yours too Janis. They make me ever so grateful for my mild climate and appreciative of what I have. I do wish everyone in the north some warmth and sunshine and a million more crocuses soon - to share with us of course.

[I.S.]

Ibrahim these are beautiful species,
Is your graveolens in bloom regularly at this time of year, i can see it is from Sifilike, Mersin? in this case is it a low altitude plant?
I'm trying to figure blooms timing of this species and is there a relation to the altitude?



[/quote]

  Oron, I have a passage climate between mediterranian and terresrial so I don't have realy cold winter in this case, many of my spring bloomer plants which come from Mediterranean coast usualy bloom in late autumn. But for my native plants around Istanbul region they bloom in february!
  Yes, my C. graveolens and C. r. hittiticus they are from Içel (or Mersin) - Silifke. But this crocusses in their native habitations they bloom in february. but for sure in low altitute they can bloom earler then higher altitute. C. graveolens has a large distribution. It is posible to see this plant in Center and East Taurus mountains.

[I.S.]

  I have seen information about new find of Janis. C. speciosus subsp. archibaldii. Just I want to consult about. It was written the most important feature for this subsp. that, the leaves start to devolop just after flowers while the other subsp. never show the leaves before spring. But! I have also one speciosus with same feature! also with yellow throat! but it is quite different corner from known traditional location of xantholaimos. Of course it is not from Iran too. If so it can not be archibaldii.
  First I want to know is there anybody who has C. speciosus subsp. xantholaimos which has same feature?
  I want show by pictures.
  First one taken 09.11.2010 (leaves show the nose)
  Second one same crocus picture taken last week
  The last one is standart speciosus from Abant also taken last week.
 
  ibrahim. SÖZEN 

[Janis Ruksans]

  I have seen information about new find of Janis. C. speciosus subsp. archibaldii. Just I want to consult about. It was written the most important feature for this subsp. that, the leaves start to devolop just after flowers while the other subsp. never show the leaves before spring. But! I have also one speciosus with same feature! also with yellow throat! but it is quite different corner from known traditional location of xantholaimos. Of course it is not from Iran too. If so it can not be archibaldii.
  First I want to know is there anybody who has C. speciosus subsp. xantholaimos which has same feature?
  I want show by pictures.
  First one taken 09.11.2010 (leaves show the nose)
  Second one same crocus picture taken last week
  The last one is standart speciosus from Abant also taken last week.
 
  ibrahim. SÖZEN 

Ibrahim,
C. speciosus archibaldii has - 1/ deep yellow throat
                                        2) stigma less branched and ends below or at tip of anthers
                                        3) Leaves start to develop just after end of blooming
                                        4) different pattern of flower design (less important, but prominent)

[I.S.]

 Janis, I don't think mine is C. s. archibaldii.
 The leaves looks like archibaldii, throath also golden, but style and flower size are big not smaller than standart speciosus. I could not compared with speciosus from Abant, because these started to flower after when the speciosus Abant's flowers dried. And second thing just after flowers the leaves started to grow as you see on my first pics.
 I attache two more picture to show throath and style.
 And what about the corm!

[Arda Takan]

Just as I was feeling a slight Crocus shortage, Ian brought in a few C. laevigatus flowers which are scenting the room nicely and then I found these photos from Oron.... Crocojoy!


 Further Crocojoy in the fact that a review copy of Janis' book has arrived here.... see Ian's latest Bulb Log, just online....... http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2010Dec221293031039BULB_LOG__5110.pdf

(Attachment Link)

That book of Janis looks magnificent!

[Maggi Young]

It is good, Arda, it is very good!

[BULBISSIME]

Jordan, like other parts of middle east is in severe drought and many plants are still dormant.
I had the chance to see, after several days and lot of hikings 2 nice Crocus but very few specimens.
First one is endemic from Jordan, Crocus moabiticus, the second one is the tiny Crocus aleppicus.

[I.S.]

 Fred, admirable two forms of C. moabiticus.
I can walk a whole week to see a crocus like that!

[Miriam]

Fred, Great findings 
Crocus moabiticus is the most beautiful crocus I have ever seen...

[Hans A.]

  Breathtaking pics, Fred!
It must be fantastic to find this jewels in such dry conditions!

[Gerhard Raschun]

I have thought Cr. mathewii is the most beautiful Crocus species, but Fred has shown , that there is a better one !