Crocus March 2011

[daveyp1970]

Here's one from Dirk in 2008 which came as Crocus corsicusCol de Bavilla but having read Janis' book maybe it is C. minimus

David i wouldn't be disappointed,its lovely.I have just had to bin 3 crocus sp through virus that i bought from PC GUTTED.

[tonyg]

Here's one from Dirk in 2008 which came as Crocus corsicusCol de Bavilla but having read Janis' book maybe it is C. minimus

Looks like C corsicus - the two species do have overlapping distribution although may occupy different habitat.  Compare it with pics of C minimus 'Bavella' in Janis book or those I posted recently of this and C corsicus.   Petal shape and size can help distinguish these two as can examining the corm tunic ..... but I cannot recall which one has the more netted tunic

[Armin]

Fantastic images from all!

I looked repeated times on all these tiny beauties and dreamed about to see them flowering already in my own property. But regretable many species I already put on my 'wish-list' would not grow successfully outside in my garden/meadow.

Fortunately there are some tough species and cultivars repelling the harsh conditions like late bare frosts, hail storms, summer rainfalls ect. ...

[Regelian]

Armin,

aren't these stray seedlings fascinating?  Here are a few tommies and vernus hybrids that have popped up in the lawn.

[daveyp1970]

Jamie the colour of that first Tommie is lovely

[Armin]

Jamie,
spring croci are symbols of energy and force for me.
Whilst it is still barbarous could outside they already thrive their flower hads through frozen ground and wait below surface until temperatures reach a bit more then +10°C in order to explode within a couple of hours in pure beauti.
Yes absolutely - they are fascinating!  
Lovely seedlings.

[Janis Ruksans]

For this entry a serie of Crocus danfordiae - very small flowers, but just beautiful with their tiny size.
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

Here's one from Dirk in 2008 which came as Crocus corsicusCol de Bavilla but having read Janis' book maybe it is C. minimus

It looks as corsicus, both are growing at Bavella, but for certainity check corm tunics - in corsicus they are reticulated at apex, in minimus throughout parallely fibrous.
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

Now some of still unidentified Crocus biflorus complex samples, all collected during my trips in Turkey.
And one more picture of Myddelton Cream.
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

Still more of biflorus complex (but not the last ones - some only comes out - here returned some frost and weather broadcast offers even minus 12 C in following two nights, so development slowed down).
At first quite interesting biflorus from Iran - it was pictured at 53rd longitude in NW Iran (in mountains positioned at East coast of Caspian Sea) where it flowered in small galley coming out from water. I suppose - may be new subsp. This spring 3 collected corms flowered in my garden (WHIR-100).
Then the first blooming of subsp. caelestis in my collection from very small corm.
Follows subsp. leucostylosus
and a pair of subsp. munzurense
For give some rest - as last picture is Crocus x paulinae raised by me, repeating natural cross between ancyrensis and abantensis.
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

One more entry for this morning
Seedling of C. chrysanthus alba put me to think that in this C. biflorus is involved.
Next is Crocus flavus subsp. flavus from something to East from Istanbul and following is
subsp. sarichinarensis white form from E of Antalya - just opposite side of Turkey
Then three forms of "tommies"
Eric Smith - with typical 8 petals
then 'Pink' and 'Pink Pictus' from John Grimshaw.
The last - C. vernus from Thomas Huber (Italy?)
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

Weather broadcast become more and more horrible - coming night will great us with minus 12 and following even minus 15 C. Plants are too advanced for emergency covering.
But now few entries for this afternoon.
Will start with quite well known C. atticus subsp.nivalis
Crocus dalmaticus
And then great surprise for myself, too - between seedlings of C. fleischeri suddenly appeared pictured specimen with brown stigma. Will be this feature permanent, I don't know, but I marked this plant.
I don't know how to separate Crocus gargaricus and herbertii by flowers, may be herbertii is a shade darker, but it changes during flowering. Flowers of gargaricus is a bit larger, as well as corms, too. Fortunately both easy separable by corm tunics.
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

Great surprise was blooming of Crocus hyemalis this spring. Corm was collected some years ago in Syria by Arnis. May be so late blooming caused by late planting as I got this corm only in October.
Crocus graveolens - still don't know how really separate it from vitellinus. My nose can't catch any bad smell on my stocks labeled as graveolens.
This C. hittiticus is from Brian Mathew's acquisitions
Very nice is C. kerndorfiorum.
It hybridizes with C. leichtlinii - on picture you can see such hybrid.
One of easiest in gardens (outside) is C. biflorus pulchricolor, only some forms of taurii is more hardy.
On my entry about last trip to Turkey I wrote about unsuccessful searching for C. olivieri subsp. balansae, but I was there too early. Now a pair of weeks later it is blooming, but how looks locality you can see on pictures sent me by my Turkish friend, revisiting locality by my plea.
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

At this moment last entry - Crocus reticulatus from Italy
Again Crocus sieberi x George (mutation of Hubert Edelsten)
Crocus sieheanus
Crocus atticus sublimis
And as last 2 pictures of Crocus tauricus
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

Today I will start with few color forms of Crocus abantensis and after them 2 pictures of Crocus antalyensis - quite similar but note color of stigma - on one it is yellow on another white.
After them 2 unidentified Crocus biflorus and follows few named cultivars
Jurpils - raised by Latvian plant breeder Juris Egle
My own - Snow Crystall and
Macedonian Ivory (chrysanthus) from Gothenburg
Janis