Colchicums autumn 2007

[Brian Ellis]

Hello experts, I bought Colchicum cupanii and Colchicum parnasicum this morning from John Fosters bulb sale,  I can't find anything on Google for parnasicum, is this name correct?  I would like to find a little bit more about it.

Thanks in advance

[Diane Clement]

Hello experts, I bought Colchicum cupanii and Colchicum parnasicum this morning from John Fosters bulb sale,  I can't find anything on Google for parnasicum, is this name correct?  I would like to find a little bit more about it.

The name is OK with a double s  - parnassicum
http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=633.0

[mark smyth]

were there many there?

Continuing potting tonight and just in from the shed I'm not sure if Colchicums with rhizomes should be planted horizontal in the pot.

C. cupanii var pulverulentum, if named correctly, has sent rhizomes to the edge of the pot that have turned down because they have nowhere to go.

Merendera, now Colchicum?, sobolifera have risen slightly and turned straight down.

In true Ian Young stylee I have saved the contents of each pot intact for photos tomorrow

I found the first Narcissus fly grub tonight. In a hard to find Galanthus. They have good taste!

[Brian Ellis]

Thank you Diane, of course I should have searched the forum first, some people never learn

Mark quite a few there when I arrived and I made straight for the sales rather than look round the garden as I needed to get away quickly.

[Gerdk]

Here is Colchicum variegatum -
flowering since a few days

Gerd

[David Nicholson]

That's a beauty Gerd.

[mark smyth]

I'm wondering if the heat here is affecting Colchicum 'Harlekijn'. All the flowers so far are almost pure white. They should be pink with white tips

[Kees Jan]

"Hello experts, I bought Colchicum cupanii and Colchicum parnasicum this morning from John Fosters bulb sale,  I can't find anything on Google for parnasicum, is this name correct?  I would like to find a little bit more about it."

Colchicum parnassicum is, as far as I know, just known from Mount Parnassos and Mount Elikon in southern Greece. It is rather similar to species such as C. graecum, which it is said to replace on Parnassos and Elikon. This is a difficult group of Colchicums to identify, C. confusum (which also grows on Parnassos) and C. autumnale are, to my eyes, rather similar... According to Mountain Flora of Greece Vol. 2 it grows on stony slopes, screes stony meadows dominated by Astragalus and Daphne oleoides, between 1500 and 2300m. It flowers rather early in the wild, late July - beginning of September.
 

[Lesley Cox]

I'm wondering if the heat here is affecting Colchicum 'Harlekijn'. All the flowers so far are almost pure white. They should be pink with white tips

So turn it upsidedown Mark

[Brian Ellis]

Many thanks Kees Jan, that is just the sort of information I was looking for.  Most helpful.

[Kees Jan]

"C. cupanii var pulverulentum, if named correctly, has sent rhizomes to the edge of the pot that have turned down because they have nowhere to go."

I don't know this name. Since it has rhizomes, could it be C. psaridis? This is very similar to cupanii but differs by having stolons/ rhizomes at some stage, while cupanii has, as far as I know, always has 'normal' bulbs.

[mark smyth]

Kees it's listed in the RHS Plant Finder so I suppose it should be right

John Lonsdale also shows it
http://www.edgewoodgardens.net/Plants_album/The%20Complete%20Collection/Colchicaceae/index.html

[Kees Jan]

Mark, yes I suppose you are right, var. or ssp. pulverulentum must be a proper name. You made me wonder if it wasn't C. psaridis because of the rhizomes you mentioned. Your fascinating pics under the "How to plant Colchicums with rhizomes" topic and Franz Hadacek's suggestion that your C. cupanii ssp. pulverulentum is probably Merendera sobolifera makes it all clear though. It's great to see how this forum helps us to solve such mysteries isn't it!

[mark smyth]

Glad you liked them, Kees

My flowers of 'Harlekijn' are finally getting their colour. It' moving from the base up

[Maggi Young]

today we have about 18 degrees, yesterday it was warmer... I now find that after this dose of heat, that our Colchicum tessellated hybrids are producing more scent than they have for years! They may be closer to C. bivonae than we thought! Our suspicion was that they were a particular old hybrid that is not scented.... back to the drawing board.  When I sniffed them today they were delicious... I don't remember them being so for many  years... wonderful what some warmth will do.