Crocus September 2007

[Lesley Cox]

And good evening to you David. What time is it there right now. Just after 8 in the morning here but we start summer time next week I think, or maybe the week after. Earlier than last year anyway.Sleep well.

[mark smyth]

While at work and day dreaming I was wondering why Crocus nudiflorus is named that when it's no more naked than any other Crocus

[Maggi Young]

I was wondering why Crocus nudiflorus is named that when it's no more naked than any other Crocus

Probably because the chap who first described it had previously only seen crocus which flower with their leaves present and thought it uniquely different.  Look how many wierd/daft namings there are.... Scilla peruviana etc 

[Anthony Darby]

I think the distribution and the chap who described it would give a clue? In the case of Crocus nudiflorus it was James Smith, and it was probably the first Autumn crocus to be described? It always amused my grandmother that C/ nudiflorus was called "Meadow Saffron" and Colchicum autumnale "Naked Ladies" and not the other way round.

[tonyg]

Crocus nudiflorus was first described by an Englishman for an English flora.  Do I need to go on?   Well of course it is not an English native at all, being common in and around the Pyrenees.  It was later described as C. pyreneus but the earlier name takes precedence.  The English material was introduced perhaps by the Knights of St John of Jerusalem and has become naturalised in several counties.   That early flora would also have acknowledged Crocus vernus (also naturalised) which of course flowers with leaves present.  So with only two taxa and one without leaves at flowering  ......  (Could have been worse.  What if he had named it after the type locality, Crocus nottinghamensis )

In fact more autumn crocus flower with the leaves present than without, perversely those most commonly grown in the open garden here (Cc speciosus, pulchellus, banaticus and nudiflorus) fall into the leafless category.

[mark smyth]

Thanks Tony! I hope your lecture has a full transcript of every word you utter!?

Great idea to have your lecture link in your signature line. Maybe I'll copy the idea

[David Nicholson]

And good evening to you David. What time is it there right now. Just after 8 in the morning here but we start summer time next week I think, or maybe the week after. Earlier than last year anyway.Sleep well.

Sorry Lesley, I missed your reply. It was 20.37.18 on Wednesday 19 September.

[Lesley Cox]

So that means you're still 11 hours behind us, as it came in at 7.37.18 here, on Thursday morning. Then you'll be 12 hours behind, for a week or so, then 13 for our summer. AND YOU CAN NEVER CATCH UP

[Luc Gilgemyn]

I've got a question for the croconuts 
As we are all struggling (at least I am) with shortage of space in our gardens, is it a silly thing to do, to plant autumn and spring flowering crocussed mixed on the same spot ?  Like that we could enjoy flowers twice a year on the same location ?? 

[Thomas Huber]

I'm silly enough to do exactly that in my garden! 

[Andrew]

I assume the tunics are different types so you can tell what's what when/if you dig them up ?

[Thomas Huber]

Andrew, the ones I have to tell apart from another are planted in baskets.
The mixed ones are cheap trade forms and some others which have increased
well in the baskets.

[Michael]

Forgive me my question, but Spring flowering crocus have folliage in spring and autumn crocus also have it on spring right? Only the epoch of flower is different?

[Maggi Young]

Spring flowering crocus have folliage in spring and autumn crocus also have it on spring right? Only the epoch of flower is different?

Excellent question, Mike: actually, there are crocus which bloom in the spring, with their leaves and also those which have leaves which come later. This is also the case for autumn flowering crocus! Some flower first, with the leaves emerging later, while others flower at about the same time as their leaves come up!  

[Michael]

But those who also leaf on autum dont risk of being killed by cold?