Crocotrip in Turkey

[Janis Ruksans]

We did great mistake in morning - didn’t refuelled our car. Going up by steep road took a lot of fuel. Having bad earlier experience when I several times reached fuel station by last drops on fuel in my car (once even pushed it by hand last meters to fuel pump) I’m panicking and force Ibrahim to turn back to coastline although further road through valley seems very promising.
We return to Kalkan where just at turn to Belpinar Beli - famous Crocus mathewii locality - is petrol station and refuelled we go up to Belpinar Beli, hoping that there will not be snow. But its altitude overpasses 1000 m and regardless of proximity to coastline both roadsides are covered by snow. Only at very top snow melted on some roadside clearings. But we found only Crocus danfordiae there. Really meadow where it blooms is so covered by rubbish that I couldn’t find good view for picturing of it.

[Janis Ruksans]

Further by road Ibrahim show me nice locality of bluish member of Crocus biflorus group. It is located not far from Elmali, on open stony field where I never would stop for Crocus search. I would more like just opposite side of road where by Ibrahim he found no one crocus. But just this one - open to all winds very moderate slope is full of them. Wind is very hard and cold. Soil is frozen but flowers are blooming, mostly closed but some even opened petals for bright cold winter-like sun. I have no idea which subsp. it could be. Altitude is very high for this trip 1210 m. Most likely on so open landscape snow simply was blown away by strong winds.  It is last acquisition for me during this trip. Further I’m only picturing as I’m really revisiting spots visited a year before or earlier, but I want to show Ibrahim some localities and plants.
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

Our next stop is near Avlan Golu where a year before I collected Crocus beydaglarensis just recently described by Erich Pasche. I suppose that it must be locus classicus as description of habitat and neighbour plants is identical with that given by Erich.
It is afternoon and flowers start to close but some good pictures of C. beydaglarensis we can receive but C. baytopiorum in general closed its flowers in tight buds. Only at small still sunny spot some flowers are open. Here C. baytopioum is growing on stone-slips. It is quite unusual place for crocuses.
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

I still hope that it will be possible to show Ibrahim locus classicus of C. flavus sarichinarensis described in my book.
After two days of experiments I finally learned how to operate with my navigator. Really it is excellent if you know how to get all options - the format of coordinates (I still prefer grades, minutes and seconds instead of decimal system). That I found quite soon, but to find how to see altitude took me more than two days. Sometimes I got this option, but then suddenly in mysterious way lost and again pushed button by button searching how returns it to mood liked by me. Now I think that I will know it forever.
Navigator is excellent tool. Unfortunately it sometimes selects shortest way but it doesn’t mean that it is fastest and best road. It is our case, too. We are guided by narrow village streets, but road isn’t very bad. On street side I enjoy small antique amphitheatre at Limyra and then road guides us in mountains to Altinyaka. Still remain some hope to reach it during daylight. But hopes suddenly are broken by huge stones crossing the road at current turn. There are built up new road and we must return loosing at least 2 hours. It would be my decision, but car is guided by Ibrahim. Starts road nightmare - steep, narrow, muddy, winding by almost vertical slope somewhere up. Dividing endless times where we must to hope that selected correct turn. Several times we took wrong direction entering some farmhouse. Ibrahim can speak with locals, but I can’t understand how he remembers after which side road he must take left or right direction. Road quality becomes more and more worth. After last talk with some strange man who is more interested why we came there than to explain where to drive further and small part of really horrible quality road part we suddenly jump on narrow asphalt. It guides us down just after road block spot. But it is dark now to find some plant. Even more - everything around is in snow. I quite easy spot the locality of C. flavus sarichinarensis covered by snow but Ibrahim turns car in way that its lights give some light on roadside slopes and goes with my mobile telephone light to search crocus. I remember how last year I showed this spot in same darkness to my other Turkish friends and how we searched this crocus by mobile telephone lights. And then we found it! Now the locality is covered in too deep snow and Ibrahim can’t spot any crocus.
Next stop is at locality where I collected some years ago some C. biflorus and C. antalyensis. The last is one of Ibrahim’s plants of top interest. But it is dark and seems that all is still in deep snow. Quite soon we reach Antalya and our Lemon Hotel. Tomorrow will be last day of our common trip and we will go to East.
Janis
Pictures from Altinyaka surroundings are from my earlier trips there.

[I.S.]

  Janis,
  You will not believe but on my last day after you left I returned back again to habitation of sarichinarensis! Snow was almost melted and I spend more than one hour in the same spot I could not find any single plant of sarichinarensis! Everwhere was covered by cancellatus like gras I found lots of galanthus, colchicum and cyclamen but no where any single flavus flower or even leaves! It was very strange I checked both side of road and bot side of that small river. unfortunately no where was this plant. I think it was too early for this plant on this altitute!
  At least I had it in my collection from last year  

[Janis Ruksans]

My last day of this short trip started. Final point is the target by which I wanted to start this trip - Crocus roseoviolaceus described by Erich at his locus classicus. My point was at much lower altitude and more to West from locus classicus, but due snow situation in situ, we changed priorities. Now our first point is spot so much visited by plant lovers that may be not worth even mention this. For me it will be at least fifth time when I’m going there. It is Gundogmus - place from where Iris pamphylicus is described and still growing there and it is locus classicus for Iris stenophylla allisonii.
Last spring when I was there it was non-stop “raining cats and dogs”, so impossible to step out of car. Now day is nice and sunny.
I have in my collection all plants from Gundogmus, although only Iris pamphylica I saw there blooming in nature few years ago. It is very rare there, but even now I spotted few leaf tips coming out. How it looks in cultivation you can see in Iris reticulata entries of this forum (entry of Hans 27th of February). My target to go there is to see the variability of Crocus antalyensis at this spot and may be to find some of biflorus group. At my first trip there in 2003 I collected 1 corm of it - and it was with white stigma, as described for subsp. striatus, but lacking stripes on inner petals. At further visits I found few antalyensis out of flowers, but few collected still not bloomed with me. It is not the best grower with me.
Ibrahim is very interested in this species, too as he may be found new subspecies of antalyensis but more research is needed to know its variability. It is first time when I’m so early there and some kilometres before village we stop at nice mountain plato of mixed small rock outcrops, meadows and shrubs. And first flowers are there - Crocus chrysanthus - most with brown speckled back as in famous ‘Gundogmus Bronze’ variety selected in Gothenburg’s BG from plants collected just there. Unfortunately I forgot to change my camera settings for so bright sun, so most pictures of C. chrysanthus were overexposed. But there are many Iris stenophylla allisonii in full bloom just now. I never saw so much of this very difficult in cultivation iris growing here. Usually cattle take off a lot of leaves. After long search I finally found one plant of C. antalyensis with water-damaged flower, but opening it saw that stigma is orange, it means that my white stigma plant is only unusual form.
We didn’t see any biflorus, may be too early, but between my gatherings from here in summer I got only C. chrysanthus, too. It is quite surprising as only slightly further in N direction are plenty of chrysanthus and biflorus isauricus.
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

Iris stenophylla allisonii and Crocus antalyensis (single one seen).
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

Now we are going in direction to Akseki - Ibradi. Ibrahim wants to see Crocus isauricus blooming in nature. As closer we go to Ibradi as more snow we have on roadsides and after Ibradi everything are covered in very deep snow. Soon after pass road is closed by police - it is dangerous to drive in daylight for possible avalanches, so we turn back. In any case there would be nothing to see. From pictures you can judge how deep was snow in place where meadows are covered with beautiful isauricus. I’m adding picture from my collection pictured 2 days ago in my greenhouse.
On way back to coast before getting road from Beyshekir to Manavgat we cross deep valley between ridges. At bottom is nice river with very good restaurant something hided from road but well marked by signpost at bridge. I’m always stopping there for fabulous grilled trout (ala-balik) and as Ibrahim is driver - I can enjoy very good cold Turkish Efes-bira - very good beer produced in Turkey. At this trip it is my first and last bottle of beer slowly enjoyed during fish becomes ready.
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

Would like to stay there longer but we still hope to reach in daylight Crocus roseoviolaceus growing N and NE from Alanya. To find the road isn’t problems. I was there twice before (initiated by Dave’s fantastic pictures on Forum) - two years ago I was there at 4th of March and it was far too late - impossible to spot crocus leaves in long grass. Last year 22nd of February with other Turkish friends we found this crocus at peak of blooming regardless of almost non-stop rain, and prepared its description for publishing in September, when Erich published the same species in June. So our job was lost, but Erich included so much in exploring of biflorus crocuses in Turkey that I can only admire his efforts and simply can step back giving him all priority. Now again is 4th of March, but never before I saw so much snow at Akseki (I pictured there crocuses in full bloom 22nd of February)
Road up isn’t so easy as before. There are road jobs but it is Sundays afternoon when city people returns from holiday picnics, so our driving up is not as fast as we would like it. And as higher we are as more snow on roadsides. Now it is certain that it is not worth to go Erick’s locus classicus - remain only hope that I could show this beauty to Ibrahim at my locality (may be same as Dave’s) which is only at slightly higher altitude than 700 m (not more than 1000 m as at Erick’s place).
But road at which side I found it last year is closed by snow and not passable. Google Earth shows winding streets deep down to village and then up - may be we can reach the spot from opposite side. Knowing Ibrahim’s driving skills from previous days I’m not protesting more. And starts our labyrinth drive… There were places where even with Ibrahim’s skills I closed my eyes as both sides of asphalt where deeply washed off by snowmelt waters and left only narrow strip between. At least two hours we try to approximate the spot and when we are there it is completely dark, started night. Yes, regardless of night I recognise the place and Ibrahim took my mobile telephone using its lights walk up to search roseoviolaceus. After some 10 minutes he returns asking for my help. He found some cut off Castanea trees below which this crocus is grow here. This is quickly developing part for holiday house building and this small spot between houses will go under building, too. Job just started. I’m stopping at first tree and in few minutes three plants are found - the first with wilted flower, second without and the third with nice fresh flower. It is full night and single natural light comes from Moon. Ibrahim got what he wanted and now we must try to find road back. Again helps Ibrahims Turkish language. Soon we stop the lorry going to coast and now left only to follow him. It is some 15 minutes longer way but not so slippery as that used by us before. It is night and all holiday drivers are at their homes. We are at our Lemon Hotel in Antalya half pas eleven. For me is packing and early morning Ibrahim brings me to Airport. He still will stay there one day to return to Altinyaka to try to find Crocus antalyensis at place shown by me. May be he will finish this report with his experience.
I’m going next week again to Greece, for another short trip to picture crocuses in nature together with Kees Jan from Holland.
Janis

[I.S.]

  I have one more long day after Janis flight back to Istanbul so what to do! Almost all my target point were very high and under snow.
Than I decided to go closer and lower parts of the mountains. There were A few yaila west of the Antalya which should not be very far but I have no idea if this area is under snow or not so just turn this way. (Feslikan, Harımyurt, İkizce and Altınyaka) It was very early in the morning
at 08.00 I made my first stop altitute was 850m. I look all around there were no spring crocuses. Only I have seen few cancellatus leaves and lots of Colchicum baytopiorum leaves have been frosen.
  I made second stop when I have seen very small shining points at altitute was showing 1124m. I just checked around it was C. minutus just look more carrefuly and focused my second crocus of day too.

 

[I.S.]

  After 4-5 km I have seen a dirty roads and drive in. Jast after 15 minutes I have found an antalyensis location with minutus again. I made a few photo than return back there was very good a bunch just on the middle of road. I stop the car and took photos and I have seen second bunch just behind me. Thay were almost sama very good striped just was a little doubt in sizes of flowers. Than one was antalyensis and second one was a biflorus. That was realy big surprise for me!7
 

[I.S.]

  When I arrived altitute 1300m. I have found another very good biflorus location. The flowers were small in size and outer petals vere always spriped and and the anthers were always black. Itwas not easy for me to tell which biflorus is this. So here are some photos from this location.

[Janis Ruksans]

Pity, that I couldn't stay with you one day more
Janis

[I.S.]

 After when I reached to one of my target I didn't wanted to continue more so I decided to change destination to another yaila towards to Feslikan yaila. After half hour I discovered another very good location of antalyensis. There were lots of antalyensis some strşpeds some speckled  and there was perfect sun it was the time for photographie. This time antalyensis was with minutus and Colchicum triphyllum. Location was between old cultivated flats. Under shrubs and little stony area altitute 1260m.

[I.S.]

  On the same way I found again two locations of this biflorus on altitute 1374m. It was realy biflorus fast for me with perfect suny weather so I made some pictures of this biflorus. All the forms are striped and with black anthers I have seen only one with blue form and one with yellow anthers. What a pity I couldn'd see the isauricus one day before so I could not make compare with it. But in isauricus there are very often speckled forms on this one I have never seen any speckled or faintly speckled!
  Yes it was realy pity that Janis was not with me there