Crocus October 2009

[Thomas Huber]

Some photos from my rockgardens:

04: Crocus mathewii, the soft blue throated form, received as mathewii Albus
05: the dark blue throated mathewii
09: Crocus gilanicus from Iran
16: C. asumaniae, next relative to C. mathewii has done well in the open garden
08: C. hadriaticus from Anne W. Meanwhile we found, that this form was formerly named as h. saundersianus.
48: Closeup of a beautiful hybrid between C. speciosus and pulchellus

[Thomas Huber]

13+35: Still not many crocus out here, but nevertheless the photographer found some nice angles for an overview photo:
18: Crocus nudiflorus flowering between this beautiful Campanula alsinoides Alba, grown from FH-seeds
08: C. niveus, a good blue form ex Schnabel-nursery
14: C. boryi, flowering well this year, not only for Janis and Tony

[ashley]

Some photos from my rockgardens:
...  08: C. hadriaticus from Anne W. Meanwhile we found, that this form was formerly named as h. saundersianus.

Great photos Thomas, and your weather and gastropods are obviously cooperating

Googling tells me that the distinguishing characteristic is a 'richly-coloured violet base' for (what was formerly known as) var. saundersianus & 'a yellow throat feathered at the base with reddish lines' for var. chrysobelonicus.  Is this difference reasonably clear in practice would you say?

Anyway a lovely thing

[Paul T]

Wonderful to see your Crocus again Thomas.  I love that blue niveus.  That species has such a nice form, and with the blue shading it definitely adds another note to it.  Thanks for the pics.

[Thomas Huber]

Ashley, Neustadts gastropod doesn't need to be gastropod anymore - he has a rotatable display now  

Re hadriaticus saundersianus and chrysobelonicus we already had one or two discussions here on the forum, without getting a reasonable answer. Both names were given by Herbert in 1847 - in a time when only a few hadriaticus were in cultivation. Meanwhile lots of collections were made and the whole variability of hadriaticus lead to the conclusion, that both names are invalid now. Wild hadriaticus populations are mixed with all kinds of throat colour (white, yellow, purple like in saundersianus) and flower colour from white to blue and even striped or feathered forms.

So Annes plant is "just" one wonderful dark throated variant of the whole hadriaticus complex.

[mark smyth]

October already!  

I'm assuming my skinny asumaniae is wrong when comparing it to Thomas' flowers

[tonyg]

Its variable Mark.  Check the sytle to be sure but it looks like it is C asumaniae to me.

[mark smyth]

THanks Tony.

Next query is how variable is pulchellus? Most of mine a pale except for these intense coloured forms

I've just added a side by side comparison

[Janis Ruksans]

Next query is how variable is pulchellus? Most of mine a pale except for these intense coloured forms

I've just added a side by side comparison

Both (assumaniae and pulchellus) are quite variable. Both looks true. Brian Mathew even expressed opinion that possibly would be worth to join pallasii and assumaniae and even mathewii under common name. Seeing how variable are petals of pallasii no wonder that similar can be with assumaniae, too.
Janis

[mark smyth]

Thanks Janis

[mark smyth]

1. This was obtained in August as goulimyi leucanthus white form. Shouldn't it simply be goulimyi 'Alba'?

2. Because of their height I'm thinking my pulchellus Alba is speciosus Alba

3. nudiflorus with pale style from a friend's garden

4. serotinus 'Gwendoline Edwards'. Very poor last year with tiny flowers but lovely this year.

[Janis Ruksans]

1. This was obtained in August as goulimyi leucanthus white form. Shouldn't it simply be goulimyi 'Alba'?
2. Because of their height I'm thinking my pulchellus Alba is speciosus Alba

There are no sharp line between typical goulimyi and var. leucanthus and I would prefer to regard it as goulimyi albus.
Yours pulchellus looks more as speciosus albus (anthers are yellow, in pulchellus white), but possibly it is hybrid. Typical speciosus cultivar bringing name 'Albus' has pointed flower segments. See attached picture.
Janis

[Sinchets]

Okay mental note as I change my watch- only 30 days in September...
Looks like it has been a lovely sunny start to the month across much of Europe.
Flowering here in the sunshine today:
Crocus speciosus
Crocus banaticus

[Gerry Webster]

Crocus niveus

From Archibald seed (pop ref 348.806) ex a  D. Hoskins coll., Greece, Lakonia, N of Pirgos Dirou.

[mark smyth]

Thanks Janis.

Here is a wider shot. I checked outside and see all have rounded tips