Crocus- and others, in Turkey, Spring 2011

[Janis Ruksans]

There was one crocus species which I saw everywhere by the road as bright white buds on low-grass meadows, in clearings of pinewoods. I more than 10 times was in Turkey, but it was the first trip when I saw so much of fleischeri and some very nice - with quite dark back (with wide purple stripe) of outer flower segments and one with very rounded petals. Now I want understand why I didn't collect those special forms, but I was too excited in searching of biflorus group representatives, that give little attention to other species.
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

There were two days when I didn't found something for what I was going. One very cloudy day with almost endless rain or, as we name it in Latvia - "Chinese fog" when small drops of water fills the air and very soon you are throughout wet I passed N of Milosh not far from Labranda where Crocus nerimaniae is growing and where our forumist (not long seen) Rik accidentally between C. nerimaniae collected one corm of Crocus caricus (photo you can see in my book). I went there early spring hoping to find more. From the same locality someone (not remember just who) in Crocus group newsletter reported beautifully form of Crocus pallasii. Now I saw there horrible view - wild boars "ploughed" up all underground where earlier were plenty of crocuses. I used half a day there walking long distances and everywhere was only same view - broken up forest underground with few muscari/ornithogalum bulbs on surface (seems of not so good taste as crocus corms). I saw may be some 5 Crocus nerimaniae, 3 Crocus pallasii plants (hiding between large stones) and some 3-5 Crocuses in flowers - but... not caricus at all, may be nubigena, but I'm not certain about name, the flowers were too damaged by rain, so no pictures I can show.
Next day I had something better weather and that I used in search of Crocus biflorus caeruleus in surroundings of Uschak. I crisscrossed all mountain roads at appropriate altitude, where all companion plants of this subsp. grew. Many times I stopped my car seeing something light bluish, but all that were only Colchicums. Sometimes I just-just drive through mud and then I swore to myself - never more travel alone! Everywhere in full bloom was Crocus chrysanthus. Uschak is the district from where famous cv. 'Uschak Orange' comes and there grows C. chrysanthus form with highest chromosome number 2n=20. It is quite uniform here and at first I supposed that single difference will be in color of stigma - yellow or orange, but later I found some specimens with brown flushed back of flower segments.
The last picture is of the last plant seen - it was C. chrysanthus with unusual for wild grown specimen number of flowers. After picking it out I saw that two more flowers were ready to come up but still waiting underground. When later in hotel room's warm opened largest bud it turned that this one is double flower with 12 petals, 6 anthers and 6-branched stigma - due proliferation two flowers grow together as siamic twins.
Janis

[I.S.]

  Janis wonderfull pictures nothings to edd It seems you had a very good trip!
At first your C. chrysanthus from Denizli is C. flavus dissectus! also the white one!
And second one the C. biflorus atrospermus seems correct to me. My samples are also from same point plus I have seen my best C. antalyensis in same point just a little right side!
  I did not checked for violet point in the throath but it was not wisible from out! and this subsp. seems exactly same as subsp. ionopharynx in color and size! just the color of anther is different!
  In one crewei location of mines the flowers were smaller and the other location they were big like standart biflorus size!
 

[I.S.]

  Janis the first two pics from Uşak are also C. flvus dissectus it is very common in that area. C. chrysanthus has always red style! Just in one corner I have find some with yellow style.
  I also passed from there this week
  I think that I was luckyer than you for C. b. caelestis 

[Janis Ruksans]

  Janis wonderfull pictures nothings to edd It seems you had a very good trip!
At first your C. chrysanthus from Denizli is C. flavus dissectus! also the white one!
And second one the C. biflorus atrospermus seems correct to me. My samples are also from same point plus I have seen my best C. antalyensis in same point just a little right side!
  I did not checked for violet point in the throat but it was not visible from out! and this subsp. seems exactly same as subsp. ionopharynx in color and size! just the color of anther is different!
  In one crewei location of mines the flowers were smaller and the other location they were big like standart biflorus size!
 

Sorry Ibrahim, but Crocus flavus dissectus hasn't annulate tunic as my plant from near Denizli, so it is chrysanthus.
About atrospermus I have no doubt, I got it from there in 2007 and seeds really are black. I agree that light plants looks close to subsp. ionopharynx - that was just my opinion, only anther color and locality puts this name under very very great question. Ionopharynx is closer to caricus and grow on other mountain system.
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

  Janis the first two pics from Uşak are also C. flvus dissectus it is very common in that area. C. chrysanthus has always red style! Just in one corner I have find some with yellow style.
  I also passed from there this week
  I think that I was luckyer than you for C. b. caelestis 

I agree that on first two pictures most likely (on the first certainly) is flavus dissectus. I didn't collect there something, so I didn't see corms and covering sheets and flowers were mostly closed. I didn't checked style as I was very short in time, looking just only for caelestis. Greetings with finding of caelestis! Few pictures were made when I liked some plant. But there are plenty of chrysanthus with yellow style - I have such just from Uschak collected earlier.

[I.S.]

  I mean this one fr. near Denizli.
So many leaves and long flowers like pulled up! This is a dissectus for me!
  I have lots of dissectus pics from Denizli region!

[I.S.]

 Janis, I believe that the C. chrysanthus should splite to many subsp. like biflorus grup!
There are great differences by locations! I had chace to see some chrysanthus location there are unbelieveable differences between.

[Janis Ruksans]

  I mean this one fr. near Denizli.
So many leaves and long flowers like pulled up! This is a dissectus for me!
  I have lots of dissectus pics from Denizli region!

That one I didn't checked, although by leaf number it can be chrysanthus, too. The white and this yellow grew only few meters one from another, so seeing that white is chrysanthus I automatically labeled this picture as chrysanthus, but I agree with you that by bud shape it looks quite slim, but weather was very cold and wet at this spot.

Here attached pictures of flavus dissectus from near Kutahya where I went to search for olivieri balansae, reported from surroundings. But I'm afraid that I was there too early, as only flavus were in flowers. On point given to me as exact locality - no one crocus still came up.
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

Now starts "Yellow Fewer" of crocuses. Those pictures of Crocus chrysanthus are from Tavšanli district - note nice black basal lobes of anthers - characteristic for just this population.
Janis

[I.S.]

  Janis as it seen on your these chrysanthus pics they all have red style!
But the trade forms always mixing heads in wild everythings are very clear!

[I.S.]

  Here attached pictures of flavus dissectus from near Kutahya where I went to search for olivieri balansae, reported from surroundings. But I'm afraid that I was there too early, as only flavus were in flowers. On point given to me as exact locality - no one crocus still came up.
Janis
[/quote]


 Maybe this is the plants that you are looking for! because the leaves are alittle wide for dissectus!
I dont have any information about balansae from Kütahya!! Is this a new info?

 

[Janis Ruksans]

 Maybe this is the plants that you are looking for! because the leaves are alittle wide for dissectus!
I dont have any information about balansae from Kütahya!! Is this a new info?
 

Count the number of style branches! It is not balansae, pity.
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

The last pictures for today. Side by side with chrysanthus grew Crocus olivieri subsp. olivieri - another member of "Yellow Fewer". In morning was heavy rain, you can see small water-drops on plants, but only few minutes of sun, and flowers opened. Shortly later started snowing. On same spot were other bulbs, too - 2 species of Colchicum and one Gagea.
Janis

[I.S.]

  Janis your C. burtii is not correct It looks to me as a Merendera attica or Colchicum atticum.
C. burtii is samething like C. triphyllum but the corms is not membranous!