Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
Bulbs => Crocus => Topic started by: Janis Ruksans on March 03, 2018, 02:49:04 PM
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When I returned from Greece I found on table amazing post-parcel with my address on top. I was extremely surprised - who sent me bulbs at this time, I nothing ordered. But inside was my own packets, posted already in last August or even in July with following slip attached:
"Hello, Last year I received plants that I did not order. Because of the birthday party the box was removed from the house and now month later I found it. I send them back to you. Hopefully you can save these bulbs and sell them again. Good luck!" Full text you can read on attached picture.
There were no senders name attached, but as inside were my own packets with order number, it was not difficult to find who send them back to me in February. There were ordered and despatched 11 items and 9 of them were returned. Of course crocus corms dried out, but, most amazing, that order was paid completely! I'm in bulb business almost 50 years, I experienced a lot of different things, but such happened for the first time. Of course I put this customer's name in "black list". Although I had no financial losses, I don't like growing of bulbs for rubbish bin...
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Yesterday we had the first sunny and warm enough day for the Crocus to open their flowers after a long cold period of 5 weeks. Many buds will not open at all because of frost damage last week.
Crocus harveyi ex Ikaria
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Crocus alatavicus
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Crocus antalyensis
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Crocus katrancesis
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Crocus olivieri ex Parnonas
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Crocus atticus ex Didymo
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Crocus aerius
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Crocus minutus
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Crocus graveolens
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Crocus pestalozzae
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Crocus salurdagensis
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Crocus geghartii
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Very nice, Stefan. And the names... I need to buy new Janis' book to understand - this is a foreign language for me ;)
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Excellent pictures, Stefan!
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Very nice, Stefan. And the names... I need to buy new Janis' book to understand - this is a foreign language for me ;)
At this moment no problems, still some (around 100) copies left.
Janis
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Finally Crocus season started with me. Last night was only minus 6 C and at 10 o'clock in morning, when outside temperature rise to minus 2, but in greenhouse it was +6 C, I started taking off the winter cover and opened crocus beds. Others still left under cover as I'm still not in the best shape. There cover will go away tomorrow when I will have helper who will bring away cover sheets to shed.
So many crocuses are in bloom. Some I just pictured but when I will show those - I really don't know, I will try as soon as possible and as much will be possible. There are so many...
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I'm starting with 3 Iranians
Crocus inghamii
Crocus iranicus
Crocus reinhardii
and then 2 poor quality flowers (they bloomed under cover since start of January) - both I got from Eugenius (Augis) Dambrauskas. Both are reported as hybrids between korolkowii and alatavicus (Lemon Alatau) and with Crocus michelsonii (Snow Tiger). Are they really hybrids - who knows, both were grown up from open pollinated seeds, so could be mutation of korolkowii, too. But they really looks as hybrids.
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Some more pictures of today. At first some Iranians
17IRS-046 seem to be very close to C. iranicus, but could be C. zagrosensis, too - will check when leaves will be fully developed
17IRS-051 - seem to be new species (2 pictures) - quite different from other Iranian's
17-062 - could be another new species, but quite doubtful - again must check leaf morphology and smaller details
The last in this entry - Crocus gunae
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Now some from Turkey
This one I labeled as mediotauricus and it comes from this region, but is it so, I'm not sure. It was collected accidentally between C. henriki.
Crocus minutus is similar to C. danfordiae, and it is separable by white stigma. HKEP characterised it as species with white and blue flowers but in Gothenburg is grown this yellow one (and another with white-blue striped flowers, not blooming yet).
There are no doubt when you try to identify Crocus muglaensis - it black anthers are repeated only in some forms of Crocus gembosii (hybrids), but muglaensis has invariably black anthers.
Crocus uschakensis has black colour in flowers, too but it is hided deep in throat, as you can see on this picture.
And again one more picture from Iran - Crocus reinhardii
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The last entry for today.
When you are buying crocuses from other grower, you never can be sure, that you got ordered one.
On following 4 pictures are crocuses received from famous grower under name of C. alexandri as collected near Drama in Greek Macedonia. Unfortunately only 2 were undoubtedly true to name (on the last picture), one (the white one) - possibly albino of alexandri, other all are something different.
Last picture again show you my Crocus beds this afternoon. Outside now is minus 4, weather broadcast not offers colder than -7 this night, so I hope crocuses will not be damaged.
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I'm still not in best shape, so more time passing in bed and only making short visits to greenhouse for some pictures. Not easy to work at computer, too.
Now here 2 Iranians, quite different from others
and Crocus adamioides from Turkey in Europe - another form has striped flowers, but they still were not in best shape.
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In this entry Crocus calanthus from HKEP
Crocus caricus - one of the most beautiful species from SW Turkey
Then seedling pot with lost label - most likely it is henrikii, although flowers are smaller, but in any case very beautiful
and last in this e4ntry is Crocus crewei - at first most witdely distributed form and then
extra beauty selection of Ibrahim - Hot Chocolate
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Another beauty from SW Turkey, known only from one isolated hilltop is Crocus fauseri - here 3 pictures of it
Then one of most impressive selections of Crocus gembosii, may be natural hybrid with neighbouring blue species, regard;less of its name - is it mawii or very similar concinnus according HKEP, or C. isauricus according Osman Erol
Then true C. henrikii from locus classicus
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Here you can see 2 colour forms of Crocus isauricus sensu HKEP from Sertavul pass in Turkey
and then 2 pictures of C. lyciotauricus
The ;last is unidentified crocus sam,ple from Tendurek gecidi (pass) in NE Turkey, by flower strongly resembling Crocus aerius, although growin in some distance to E from its traditional area. Later (at harvesting time) will check its tunics.
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Another beauty from SW Turkey, known only from one isolated hilltop is Crocus fauseri - here 3 pictures of it
And today is the 80th Birthday of that wonderful plantsman, Otto Fauser! We send him every good wish for many happy returns of the day!
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Now it is very cloudy, crocus flowers stay closed so still some pictures maid 2 days ago. Just started snowing.
It is a little difficult to be the single one who now enter pictures of crocuses. For you crocus season already ended but here it started. Next Sunday we will have open door day.
The first two pictures is of Crocus nubigena from Lesvos Island - note deep purple zone deep in flower.
Next picture is Crocus seisumsiana
Then unidentified species from N of Akseki (not my own collection, so details of locality unknown)
and as last another unidentified from ruins of Termesos near Antalya
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In this entry only 3 pictures.
The first one is from meadow near Yaylaalan. I identified it as similar to C. mawii, but H. Kerndorff wrote me that it is not mawii according DNA but not informed me, what it really is. I sent quite many samples for DNA checking, but not always got reply and sometimes results seem quite strange, not responding with morphological features and distribution area of the species according DNA.
Next is Crocus stevensii - very good, easy identifiable species originally collected by late Jim Archibald and Norman Stevens.
As last in this entry Crocus yataganensis from HKEP.
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And now puzzle (mystery)
Crocus from Goldaģ was identified by me and by Ibrahim as very close to Crocus mysius. WE searched on Goldaģ for C. lydius published by HKEP. We worked there 2 days. Found annulate crocuses at 3 localities, ecologically same as in publication of lydius, but it turned completely different. When I got DNA - it was named as simavensis aff. (as on attacherd pictures). But if it is simavensis - this mean that C./ simavensis is much more widely distributed as noted in original paper. Our locality is very distant from locus classicus, as it could be supposed by description of C. simavensis. In any case tooth on Goldag plant basal rings is not longer that 2 mm, but according original description they must be very long - 2-5 mm or longer.
About another on next entry, later.
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The plant which I regard as true simavensis, at least its basal rings has tooth even longer than 5 mm, only anthers seem to be slightly different than could be in simavensis, was collected at Izzettin vil. on Balikesir-Uschak roadside. Here 3 pictures of it.
Further by our road, at high altitudes of Ulus-Dag, we found another crocus, which looks very close to plants from Goldaģ, but DNA showed that it could be hybrid, what again seems very strange. Here 2 pictures of it.
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Today is dark, all the day some snowing but temperature is in + degrees. I maid first watering of crocuses after opening. Crocus flowers all the day remained in general closed, but this allowed to make some pictures, which usually can be seen and showing nice outlook view of closed flowers.
The first is fantastic C. crewei Chocolate Soldier
What really is C. antalyensioides yellow form - I have no idea. I suppose that it is hybrid with some of flavus. Those flowers now looks as cvijicii, but all cvijicii still didn't even show noses out of ground.
Crocus candidus is amazingly variable in wild. Here you can see variability of it, all collected out of flowers on small spot.
Crocus olivieri candidus was found by Ibrahim. It is very beautiful plant, well growing with me.
Last in this entry - new species from Turkey, will be published, may be in autumn this year.
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I really don't know - are crocuses from Central Asia hybridising between them. I never got any seed when I artificially crossed in any combination C. korolkowii, alatavicus and michelsonii. But between open pollinated seedlings of korolkowii comes out amazing plants. In this entry four selections which when flowers were open were characterised as whites, but their outside is extremely variable.
The last picture is of Crocus guneri, not long ago published by Turkish botanists.
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In the last entry of today - 4 other seedlings of Crocus korolkowii. On last picture in background small flower of cv. Dytiscus.
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The cold snap, followed by the Siberian cold and snow, put the crocus season on hold here. Now the stragglers are making up for lost time. Here are a few from the last few days.
Crocus angustifolius - obtained from Wisley plant sales in 1992
Crocus pulchricolor - JP 91-25
Crocus vernus
Crocus vernus ? x tommasinianus
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Now it is very cloudy...
It is a little difficult to be the single one who now enter pictures of crocuses. For you crocus season already ended but here it started.
Sunny here and quite warm, but crocus season has not yet started here (in the garden). There were not many forumists entries in February, either.
May be you are the only person posting, but there are many readers. So - we are waiting for more. Thank you for your work.
When I started writing this short text was early morning, no crocuses were opened in the garden. But as the day was warming up the first few opened their flowers. This year winner of the Earliest Crocus Prize is Crocus tommasinianus, but others are in a hurry for the second prize. Just not to leave your crocuses so lonely I post one of the runners for the second prize.
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I wanted to come for the crocus days for the first time this year. There are convenient flights from Warsaw, though they are no longer as cheap as they used to be.
Unfortunately, the broken leg needs some more time to heal. May be next year.
The only problem I had preparing for the trip was finding Vecpulkas on the map. My Google Maps doesn't see it (Stalbe - yes). Finally I found it on a Latvian site – lursoft.lv On satellite – I think I can see two greenhouses. May be it would wise to place appropriate information on rarebulbs.lv – a map or GPS co-otriates?
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I wanted to come for the crocus days for the first time this year. There are convenient flights from Warsaw, though they are no longer as cheap as they used to be.
Unfortunately, the broken leg needs some more time to heal. May be next year.
The only problem I had preparing for the trip was finding Vecpulkas on the map. My Google Maps doesn't see it (Stalbe - yes). Finally I found it on a Latvian site – lursoft.lv On satellite – I think I can see two greenhouses. May be it would wise to place appropriate information on rarebulbs.lv – a map or GPS co-otriates?
Dear Jacek,
I well understand you. I had broken leg just before my lecture tour in Canada and USA, so was forced to cancel it and delay for a year. So next year you will be very welcome, only in March, 2019 I'm planing 10-14 days long mountain trip, so must discuss the time for visit.
Other important thing is that no more my nursery is in VECPULKAS (on Google Earth - Pulkas). Now it is replaced to JAUNRUJAS (on navigation - Rujas), Raiskuma pag., but the same Pargaujas nov.), I will put this on my home page. I will have the first visitors this year from UK on coming Friday and there will be many more on next Sunday.
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Ok, now I can see it, but again - ordinary Google Maps does not find it for me. lursoft.lv - no problem.
From satellite view I can see four greenhouses: 2 bigger and 2 smaller. Unfortunately, from satellite I cannot see crocuses ;D
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Crocus veluchensis 'Pearl of Rhodope', thanks to Luc G. ;)
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Today (Ok, yesterday, it's already after midnight) sunny and +15 C.
Current results of the competition for the Earliest Crocus Prize in my garden. Today second on the podium ex aequo: C. etruscus Zwanenburg, C. sublimis (Firefly) and C. ancyrensis
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We had a warm but not really sunday also here. Many plants were coming out and opened during the day. First some yellows from self collected seeds besides the last one.
Crocus chrysanthus ex Olympos:
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Crocus chrysanthus ex Rodopi:
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Crocus flavus ex Olympos:
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Crocus olivieri ex Kyllini:
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Crocus gargaricus:
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Some that opened during the day:
Crocus korolkowii Albus
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Crocus vitellinus
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Crocus weldenii
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Some from the Greek Islands.
Crocus harveyi ex Ikaria, just one bulb but four flowers.
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Crocus nubigena ex Samos
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Crocus rhodense from Janis
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Two more from Janis
Crocus reinhardii
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Crocus schneideri
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and Crocus stridii
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Crocus harveyi ex Ikaria, just one bulb but four flowers.
That is a very hard working bulb! 8)
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Some more from the last weekend. Snow and deep frost is forecasted for the next weekend and all open flowers will be frozen then.
Crocus fleischeri
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Crocus stridii
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Crocus paschei
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The last ones:
Crocus nivalis from Northern Taygetos
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Crocus sieberi Hubert Edelsten
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Crocus vernus from Montenegro
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Crocus veluchensis from Katara pass
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Crocus malyi
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For the second day we have very dark weather with some snow in air. All flowers stay tightly closed, so no activities in greenhouse, but I had some time to resize some pictures for Forum.
I will start with darkest yellow C. danfordiae in my collection collected not far from Antalya to the west.
Then 3 pictures of one Iranian crocus, collected out of flowers on very steep slope near field covered with Anemone flowers
and as last - Crocus adamioides striped form from Turkey in Europe
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Again will start with yellow - colour of sun - so short with it today - it is the brightest yellow at present blooming - so named yellow form of Crocus antalyensioides
Then 2 pictures of Crocus bifloriformis from NW corner of Turkey
Then Crocus concinnus from near Akseki and as last in this entry
natural hybrid between Crocus alexandri x chrysanthus found on Mt. Falakro in Greek Macedonia
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In this entry typical Crocus biflorus from different spots in Italy. Two unusual included - one with yellow toned back of flower segments and single one with black into anthers found between thousands and thousands with pure yellow anthers. In population from Craco dominated white flowers but those from Basilicata were invariably blue.
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At this moment last entry (preparing of pictures takes time). The first is Crocus caelestis, collected by HKEP
Then three pictures of C. caricus from 3 different localities. Note yellow anthers without any hint of black in second picture.
And as last Crocus mawii (as I regard it).
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Great crocuses! My favorite one is Crocus carica.
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and look at caelestis :o :o :
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Last pictures before the next cold spell. Not really sunny here this spring.
Crocus veluchensis from self collected seeds at Parnassos when Paeonia parnassica was in flower.
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Crocus dalmaticus Petrovac
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Crocus tommasianus pops up everywhere in the garden, in the meadow, in seed pots, ... Most are normal but there are also rather dark or bicoloured ones.
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Small flowered Crocus vernus from Mt. Biokovo in Croatia. All are from the original seed collection and astonishing uniform
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Crocus versicolor
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Crocus violaceus
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Does anybody know which species this is? It is from Ravon Kulk deseert in Afghanistan.
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Here new frost-wave came, too. Tonight we had minus 10 C. Here some pictures maid few days ago. Many other activities not allow to work with pictures, to label them, select for Forum and resize the selected ones.
In this entry
At first Crocus demirizianus - the first my own collection, the next - from type collection of Osman Erol
Then 2 pictures of Crocus ionopharynx - the first type gathering of HKEP, next from Ibrahim Sozen
The last - Crocus katrancensis from Koru Dag JATU-057
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In this entry good picture of hybrid (?) between korolkowii and alatavicus, may be mutation.
Then Turkish Crocus micranthus (identity checked by DNA)
Then 2 pictures of Crocus minutus striped form. Originally was collected as danfordiae, but for its white stigma was relabeled as C. minutus. It is very unusual form with striped flowers - no such were listed in original description of C. minutus and not such colour known between danfordiae s.l. Most interesting that it replies perfectly by seeds even from open pollinated plants/
The last - one of the most attractive species Crocus roseoviolaceus TULA-001
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Again passed some time before I found time to put some pictures on forum. My wife just published beautiful book (in Latvian) - Phlox - about growing, breeding and cultivars of large garden Phlox paniculata and related species with hundreds of pictures - so now we have invitations from various gardening groups all around Latvia for presentation of book and signing of copies. So additional job attached.
On last Friday I had four visitors from UK, journalists from Latvian gardening magazines, yesterday we had meeting with my wife's books readers, but today is Open Doors for Crocuses - around 200 announced arrival. So I'm using morning hours, whilst still everything is frozen (we had minus 10 C last night) to prepare some pictures.
I'm starting with Crocus isauricus from Belpinar Beli, near Taskent. There are 2 forms - one type gathering, another from Gothenburg with something different colour.
And as last in this entry - another picture of Crocus kartaldaghensis
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In this entry one of most beautiful crocus from so named "chrysanthus" group (really many of them are very distant genetically and as common for them has only corm tunic type and flower colour) - Crocus muglaensis
Next is Crocus rhodensis from Rhodos Island in Greece - variability in anther's colour
And as last in this entry - Crocus salurdagensis HZ-8837
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In this entry 3 something distant "neighbours" collected during same trip for search of C. lydius. Actually only one of them was identified without any doubt, because it was new species found by our small team - it is C. sozenii, very well separable by leaves and corm tunics from all relatives.
Another about identification I'm quite sure is C. simavensis. Problem is - it was collected at different altitude, at different place - pity, but this is so common with new species published by HKEP - the data is so incorrect... But by morphology it looks correctly identified.
The last by morphology looks very close to C. mysius, but was collected where C. lydius "must grow" (we didn't find any similar to lydius there during 2 days long search).
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The first in this entry is typical Crocus biflorus, collected near Palermo in Italy
Then 2 pictures of Crocus tahtaliensis
Then picture of my famous Crocus tauricus "red" form
and as last new species from Central Turkey
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The last entry this morning - day is sunny and I must run to greenhouse to open upper window to decrease temperature and first visitors are coming, too.
The first is Crocus thracius - from Turkey in Europe - something similar to C. pallidus, but both are well separable.
Then Crocus xanthosus from Kuruova Beli in SW Turkey
Then Crocus yakarianus - type collection
And last two - are Crocus ziyaretensis - N and W from Antalya
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Crocus korolkowii and Crocus tomasianus in snow and -7°C on 18.3.2018
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What a contrast in the snow!
well Janis except saying it's beautiful i can't find my words :o
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Passed very heavy day. We had the first Crocus Day in our nursery. The first visitors came already in Friday (from UK), but officially we opened for everyone on Sunday. The first visitors came at half past 10 in morning and during all frosty (outside during day was minus 3 - 5 C, in night minus 11 C) and very windy day people came and came enjoying crocus flowers and wonderful aroma filling the greenhouse where temperature was around + 15 C. In total we had around 200 visitors, not so much comparing with last years Peony days when we had more than 1 km long line of cars on roadside and much more than 1000 visitors during one day. Now there were all the day 3-5 cars staying in our parking place, but there were non-stop talking, explaining, showing etc. all the day up to 5 o'clock in the afternoon. Some Crocus books were sold, too. It was amazingly how evenly visitors came - one car left, another came in. A lot of pictures on Facebook put Una Ulme (I even was surprised - how nicely all this look). In evening I was so exhausted that even glass of wine was for me without taste and I was dreaming only about bed. By myself I made more than 600 pictures of crocuses and some other plants, but not so many from visitors, I pictured few last visitors at very end only.
Between great joys was the first blooming of new species of reticulata Iris from Iran (picture attached) and regardless of all I found time for herbarium of one new Turkish Crocus species, too. Another is interesting mutation from purple Turkish Iris reticulata. Will see how permanent it will be.
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Some early morning pictures when flowers still closed. In this entry selected forms of Crocus abantensis.
Alba - is the lightest, but not purest white, always slightly bluish shaded, but this year (may be due cold weather) it is more bluish than usually, especially when closed.
The last is the greenish toned selection, pictures later yesterday. By colour quite close to baytopiorum and if not the yellow throat, I would be doubtful about correctness of name.
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Some more pictures from Crocus Days in my nursery, yesterday. Foto - Una Ulme (on the first picture)
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In this entry at start picture of me sent to my address by one of visitors of Crocus Day
Then some forms from various localities of Crocus danfordiae
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Crocus antalyensioides cream form - certainly hybrid received from Antoine Hoog - 2 pictures (not impressive in bud, but very nice when open)
Then true C. antalyensis (not far from Antalya to W)
And last two - Crocus athous - this year huge flowers
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Now 4 seedlings of C. korolkowii wiith open flowers and as last
C. korolkowii Alba from Sjaak de Groot
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And last entry for today - I think you tired watching them as well I tired preparing pictures according forum rules.
The first - one more of C. korolkowii - Apricot from Sjaak de Groot
Then Crocus nivalis from Pelloponesse
Crocus olivieri Albina - excellent selection from wild made by Ibrahim (well reproduces itself from seeds)
Crocus pseudonubigena form received from Norman Stevens, originally from Halkis Dag, only anthers in this one is yellow
and last - albino from mine Crocus sarichinarensis
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Thank you, Janis - I know it takes a lot of time to prepare all these photos and post them - there are many of us very, very grateful that you do so. I for one would never see half of these plants without your posts and the others who are kind enough to share here.
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Ijn this entry colour forms of Crocus abantensis. Most unusual is the last - by colour close to C. baytopiorum but throat is yellow as in abantensis.
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The first is Crocus atrospermus, most likely from locus classicus
Then hybrid, supposed as between Crocus atticus and gargaricus - named Cream Diamond
Crocus candidus - so variable when flowers closed (see earlier) and very uniform when they open.
Crocus flavus from Albena, Bulgaria
and the last is Crocus hittiticus received from Kammerlander
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Now at first Crocus kartaldagensis and then various selections of Crocus sieberi from Crete
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Now two entries with Crocus sieberi selections.
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Some more of Crocus sieberi from Crete
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The last for today
Crocus sieberi hybrid GEORGE - it is mutation of Hubert Edelsten, this season distinctly darker than parent form
Crocus vitellinus alba suffused lilac - seem to be hybrid
then Crocus zetterlundii
and last two - most likely new species collected for me by George (the stigma on 2nd picture seem to be coloured yellow but those are pollens)
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We had full week of visitors during Crocus Days – some 700-800 visitors came from all Latvia and even UK. Some pictures you can see on following links:
http://www.delfi.lv/majadarzs/darzi-latvija-un-pasaule/foto-raiskuma-pasa-zenita-zied-lielaka-krokusu-kolekcija-pasaule.d?id=49855933 (http://www.delfi.lv/majadarzs/darzi-latvija-un-pasaule/foto-raiskuma-pasa-zenita-zied-lielaka-krokusu-kolekcija-pasaule.d?id=49855933)
and here:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10213466488795488&set=pcb.10213466509716011&type=3&theater (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10213466488795488&set=pcb.10213466509716011&type=3&theater)
I was so tired in evenings, that was impossible to work on my own pictures.
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and last two - most likely new species collected for me by George (thje stigma on 2nd picture seem to be coloured yellow but those are pollens)
I am also growing the C. veluchensis with the white stigma from George. I was with him a couple of weeks ago on Mt Ossa (a wonderful day) and amongst thousands of Crocus veluchensis with yellow stigmas was this one in which it was white. A long way from where the others were found.
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We still have very frosty nights, plants develop slowly and a lot of veluchensis, cvijicii and close to them species only show noses out of soil. Today I decided to label all pictures of last week and then I will start showing them on Forum (I'm not more using Facebook). But this one I want to show here with all its story.
This crocus originally was found by Vladimir Epipektov on mountains at altitude where in spring dominates Crocus alatavicus. Between traditionally coloured white blooming plants was spotted one with pure pink flowers. Vladimir sent it to me. Later he found another one similar, but it was lost by him in cultivation (Crocus alatavicus is not the easiest species to cultivate). During 3 or 4 years my corm increased to 3 and last autumn one travelled to Japan (where it bloomed this spring) and one to Germany (I didn't hear about its fate) and the smallest one was planted back by myself.
At very start of January I opened glass-wool cover at some spots to check plants and found that my pink alatavicus had fully developed flower in tight bud waiting for sun. Due weather change to hard frosts the pots remained closed up to 5th of March. As I opened cover, pink alatavicus opened its first flower, but the second bud was already halfway up. 15th of March the first flower was wilted, second still blooming, when I noted the third flowerbud coming out. It still is blooming, although now the colour something faded. On attached picture those last 2 flowers when the third just opened. Picture is made in evening sun, so colour is a little orange shaded, really it is pure cold pink.
Others flowers I will show step by step after finishing of labeling (it is still several hundreds waiting), although many already wilted. We still have a lot of visitors coming and watching our flowers.
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This is a crocus I collected out of flower in the area of C. jablanicensis thinking it might be that species. As it was coming into flower I noticed the purple staining on the tube and thought it looked very much like C. novicii which occurs further south. On opening however it has an orange stigma which neither of the two mentioned have. I think it might be a natural hybrid between C. jablinicensis and C. veluchensis although I have not seen the latter in that area.
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This is a crocus I collected out of flower in the area of C. jablanicensis thinking it might be that species. As it was coming into flower I noticed the purple staining on the tube and thought it looked very much like C. novicii which occurs further south. On opening however it has an orange stigma which neither of the two mentioned have. I think it might be a natural hybrid between C. jablanicensis and C. veluchensis although I have not seen the latter in that area.
Both - jablanicensis and veluchensis s.l. are growing side by side, only jablanicensis blooms just after snowmelt (see picture) and veluchensis just follow. Unfortunately I didn't pictured where both are together but one picture found with one flower of veluchensis near jablanicensis. I didn't see intermediates, so I'm afraid that they not hybridize or this happens very rarely. I didn't see any similar to possible hybrid. C. veluchensis has albinos (observed by Henrik Zetterlund in Serbia). Out of flowers impossible to separate both.
C. novicii is known only from Albania, quite far to South in place not easy to reach. I'm afraid that for me would be quite difficult to climb up to its localities and I would be very happy if some traveller who possibly will go there could collect for me few corms. The same relates to C. tomoricus - veluchensis affinite from Albania more to North.
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Janis thank you for your reply ,I would like to go and see C. novicii but also wonder if my legs will no longer manage it! I have not seen the write up of C. tomoricus.
To complicate the matter here is a picture of a similar crocus growing to the one I have shown growing with C. scardicus, there were several of them. The C. veluchensis were growing about 500 metres away on a separate dryer hillside quite different from the C. scardicus which were in snowmelt water.
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Janis your pink crocus is really unique!!
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Janis thank you for your reply ,I would like to go and see C. novicii but also wonder if my legs will no longer manage it! I have not seen the write up of C. tomoricus.
To complicate the matter here is a picture of a similar crocus growing to the one I have shown growing with C. scardicus, there were several of them. The C. veluchensis were growing about 500 metres away on a separate dryer hillside quite different from the C. scardicus which were in snowmelt water.
The plant on this picture resembles albino scardicus. Scardicus grow together with veluchensis, too. At blooming time it really is in very wet soil, sometimes overflooded, but with melting of snow soil dries out. I collected mine scardicus some time after blooming and I found it on completely dry soil between low shrubs of Calluna(?). In the same time it was blooming in some gullies where still some snow persist. C. veluchensis was on same slopes. At locality visited by me both were not very densely growing but quite often together as you can see on attached picture. On second picture Henrik Zetterlund picturing scardicus, walking is Kurt Vickery (UK).
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Janis thank you for your reply ,I would like to go and see C. novicii but also wonder if my legs will no longer manage it! I have not seen the write up of C. tomoricus.
Crocus tomoricus is interesting plant. It was regarded as veluchensis synonym by Brian Mathew and I didn't find any data about it when I worked on my book and never saw it, so I followed Mathew's opinion. But going a little deeper relating C. veluchensis group where certainly several species are hidden, I started to doubt - was Brian right in this aspect. So for me would be very interesting to see at least a pair of living plants. On internet I found following information:
"Tomorrit National Park is probably the most fascinating area when it comes to flora, as it hosts several steno-endemic species. Endemic species are those that grow only in Albania, and steno-endemic are found only in restricted areas of Albania. For example, crocus (Crocus tomoricus) and astragalus (Astragalus autranii) grow only on these mountains. A great Italian botanist Antonio Baldacci has collected and described them more than a century ago and only recently they have been rediscovered by the Albanian colleagues."
Now I got original description of C. tomoricus (it is in Latin), quite detailed, but at present I found only that stigma in C. tomoricus must be white, but that put under question status of Greek veluchensis populations where all plants has white stigma. Is it tomoricus? If so - then tomoricus is not so narrow endemic and enters Greece, too. Some my correspondents suppose that plants in Greece could be hybrids between veluchensis and tomoricus, but then it must be very old, well established hybrid reproducing itself without splitting. Such plants can be described as new species. Decision without comparing with authentic C. tomoricus is impossible.
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The plant on this picture resembles albino scardicus.
Janis my first thought was that it was an albino scardicus but on examining the new leaves they were broad with a white stripe so not scardicus.
A couple of pictures from the 2016 trip
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New name for crocus
Yesterday I finished labeling of my pictures from last week, so I will start to put them on Forum, but at very start about new crocus name published in last International Rock Gardener ( see http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2018Mar291522354177IRG100.pdf (http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2018Mar291522354177IRG100.pdf) )
The change of well established name is the thing which gardeners hater very much, but slowly new names got their place in communication, in published papers etc. because always there are well supported reason for such corrections. There is well known Crocus which for very long time was grown and distributed under name Crocus pestalozzae. It was known in two forms - white (quite rarely grown and something difficult in cultivation) and lilac - regarded as forma or variety violaceus. Up to last the lilac form was unknown in nature. It was Ibrahim Sozen who found it growing in Yalova province of Turkey and Turkish botanists published it as subsp. violaceus. As it was completely isolated and distant from localities where white form (regarded as type for C. pestalozzae) is growing and following nowadays attitude to subspecies status I rise it to species level as Crocus violaceus. All was OK up to last January when I got e-mail from Rafael Govaert, who is manager of Kew Checklist of Selected Plant Families (see: http://wcsp.science.kew.org/prepareChecklist.do;jsessionid=A70066AF819CE931D1D356CF15CA3716.kppapp05-wcsp?checklist=selected_families%40%40091010420180601604 (http://wcsp.science.kew.org/prepareChecklist.do;jsessionid=A70066AF819CE931D1D356CF15CA3716.kppapp05-wcsp?checklist=selected_families%40%40091010420180601604) ), who, checking old books found that name Crocus violaceus was already used in 1771, so according to International Code of Botanical Nomenclature its using by me was illegal, so Crocus violaceus need new name. I decided to rename it according province name where it is growing in nature as Crocus yalovensis.
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As I already noted, yesterday I finished labeling of pictures from last week (may be 10 days). Now I selected those for showing on Forum. It turned that at present more than 30 entries must follow (according rule of 5 pictures per entry) and resizing of them takes time, too. So I will show them in alphabetical order with some comments, not more than 2 pictures per sample, but mostly only one. So in some entries will be some very similar (when will came line for chrysanthus samples). Although Crocus blooming season goes to end, some still are only coming out. Season really was very strange - both in sequence of blooming, in colours - many had very atypical shade. And now I can count losses, too. The number was not very high - as average. Mostly from fungal infection, because regardless of very careful checking no one bulb mite was found nor by me, nor in laboratory. Most painful was with C. wattiorum where from 6 large pots corms in 4 died completely, seem that they were frozen in spring night frosts as vegetation started all of them. We had several nights with minus 8 C in greenhouse and wattiorum is plant from low altitudes at Mediterranean coast. But such things is difficult to predict, avoid. So I will start with
White form of Crocus abantensis - in bud slightly bluish (you can see in some of earlier entries), but when opens is pure white
Crocus adamii 14ARM-040 Arteni - it is extremely variable - here some forms from Mt. Arteni in Armenia
Crocus aerius JJJL-010 - always was between my favourites, this year blooms quite late.
Crocus alatavicus 12KZ-063 - one of surprises of this season - extremely long blooming, usually the first to start, this season it paused for some time, but after bloomed very abundantly
Crocus alexandri x chrysanthus Falakro - natural hybrid from Mt. Falakro in Greek Macedonia
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Now I'm starting with two pictures of white form of Crocus antalyensioides
Then very interesting yellow-blue form of it most likely is hybrid with flavus or mouradii (flavus subsp. dissectus)
Then Crocus antalyensis subsp. striatus from locus classicus, known from very small area.
And as last at this moment - Crocus atrospermus - the first species known having black seeds - so that name.
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This form was labeled as C. atticus, although is growing in Republic of Macedonia (or North Macedonia - actually I don't know how would be correctly to name its homeland now.
Crocus balansae from Samos Island was very bright this spring, I think more orange than ever before.
Crocus baytopiorum surprised visitors from the first day, I think there was no one who didn't ask about colour of this wonder and I told how every spring, when I was growing it outside I went with trembling heart to my Crocus field looking - is my treasure alive? And it could be seen from far distance - yes it is, so special is its colour.
And in this entry I'm starting some of unidentified samples of so named "biflorus group" crocuses - this one comes from Mazikiran gec. in Turkey. Note how variable they are in the one locality. The field where it grows is very flat, stony with sparse vegetation where you can find Iris danfordiae and this nice crocus. I never was there in blooming time and finding of those few plants takes long walking in this grazed, semi-desert looking country.
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JRRK-007 was collected just E of Refahye in Turkey, something resembles C. malatyensis but certainly isn't it, see the outside base of flower segments. Could be new species.
JRRK-016 was collected S of Kelkit, most likely is new species
And last two pictures represent true, typical Crocus biflorus growing along Italy and only in Italy. One is my own gathering, another of HKEP.
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In this entry at first two pictures of one of my seedlings from early years when I was still growing Dutch cultivars, named as C. chrysanthus varieties. Sometimes I collected their seeds, but not registered parent plant, they were sawn as mix and few were selected. From those only very few still are grown, but the best is this one - named 'Snow Crystal'. The last 3 flowers are C. carpetanus - various forms (origin of samples at picture).
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Now will follow 4 entries with superficially very similar crocuses. They all at present are regarded as "Crocus chrysanthus". Of course European and Turkish samples belongs to different species and in general are easy separable because most of Europeans has stigmas well overtopping anthers, whilst most of Turkish has stigmas hidden between anthers, not overtopping them. But as you will see from attached pictures, it is not always so, there are some exceptions in both parts. Most interesting is that visually so similar plants according DNA researches are very different and belongs even to different series or groups of species, so flower colour is not the feature which can be regarded for forming related member.
There will be only few comments, and I'm starting with European samples. Of course I have much more, but not all were pictured this spring.
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Still C. chrysanthus sensu latissimo!
The plant from Bozdag is partly-albino - found one such between traditionally deep yellow blooming.
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Still some Turkish. JJVV-023 - creamy yellow form found between millions of purre bright yellow on large yaila below Kaan gec.
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The last of chrysanthus. TULA-023 - some plants has white stigma. Is it permanent or only some seasonal joke, I don't know.
Goldmine is another extremely old my selection from open pollinated seedlings, when I grew only Dutch cultivars. It often formed semi-double flowers but for that is needed large size corms. As in last seasons care of my crocuses was not the best, I had smaller corms and flowers were with traditional 6 segments. This spring again come one with 8 segments, although from top size corms can be even 12 flower segments.
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To give you some rest from "yellow fewer" before next one starts, some different colours
type Crocus cvijicii as it is found at locus classicus in Republic of Macedonia - far from bright yellow from Geek province Macedonia
And last are 3 pictures of Crocus duncanii - every one can compare flower shape of C. duncanii with that of C. carpetanus showed few entries before. I suppose that no one will doubt that both are different crocuses regardless of Kerndorff's tries to put this under doubt.
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Few more:
Crocus exiguus - regarded as identical with C. heuffelianus. Actually all this group is very complicated and identification is not very easy.
Crocus gargaricus is yellow flowering. This year it formed incredibly large flowers, almost of same size as Dutch so named Crocus vernus cultivars.
Crocus geghartii is very similar to C. adamii but according researches in Gattersleben DNA confirms that both are different species
Crocus georgei blooms for the first time with me. By flower similar to C. sublimis but has leaves with distinct ribs in lateral channels.
Crocus harveyi was published by me - it grows wild on Ikaria Island, Greece
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Again three entries of plants in which yellow colour dominates - they are Crocus gembosii from Gembos Yaila not far from Akseki in Turkey. Visiting S Turkey in early spring I always tried to visit this place and always found there crocuses of exceptional beauty (only once yaila was under 1 m deep snow at my visit). There are some blue and white ones between yellow. Are they hybrids or belongs to C. concinnus/mawii complex, I don't know, but all are of exceptional beauty.
18-02 is seedling from cross between plants with black stigma and plants with black anthers. This cross is done by me. Others are natural hybrids or true species.
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Some more from Gembos Yaila.
Only JATU-073 comes from Aldurbe Yaila - located on opposit direction from Akseki than Gembos. Could be another species.
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This is last entry with plants from Gembos. Between them famous cv. 'Sunspot'. On last picture you can see incredibly long tooth on corm from some natural hybrid (?). Its flowers looked something strange and I dug one out to check - aren't some pest damage, but plant turned perfect and then I noted those basal rings.
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You certainly tired from so much entries and really I tired, too. So as last pictures of today are two pictures of the very late hybrid found in his garden by Lithuanian bulb grower Eugenius (Augis) Dambrauskas. What is its parents? No idea. I suppose that one of parents is some of Crocus ancyrensis sensu lato group. Tunics are reticulated, blooms as one of the last, it is sterile (no pollens formed), excellent increaser by splitting and perfectly brightens greenhouse in this Easter day.
Happy Easter to every one, regardless are you believer or not (as I).
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Happy Easter to you too Jānis.
And thank you for your many posts here, and the work you put into them. I'm sure that they are appreciated by many people as well as building a great resource for reference.
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I certainly appreciate all your posts Janis, allowing all of us to enjoy your Crocus flowers.
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Thanks for nice words!
Now some more prepared pictures.
The first is something mysterious Crocus roopiae, following HKEP & Harpke I name it "roopiae aff." due some distance from Kars province, where C. roopiae is growing. In general it respond to description from Flora USSR but its throat is nude, although in Flora USSR described as hairy. But all crocuses from neighbourhood has only glabrous throats. Grossheim in his Flora Caucasica not mention hairy throat, too, so I suppose that it is mistake in Flora USSR. Another sample of C. roopiae collected just in Kars province and got by me from Archibald has nicely striped flowers. Is it variation? Or may be different species? I can't decide at present.
Last two pictures are of "biflorus" crocus from Refahiye - still unidentified.
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In this entry some forms of Crocus heuffelianus and seedlings of 'Carpathian Wonder'.
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Although it is already 2nd of April, but all those pictures were madre in March, so I didn't start new topic.
At first one more C. heuffelianus seedling from Taavi Tuulik, Estonia
then again unidentified "biflorus" crocus from Turkey collected W of Van Lake.
Crocus istanbulensis - one of the rarest crocuses in the world.
Then follow Crocus ilvensis and as last not so long ago published Crocus jablanicensis
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The first is Crocus kartaldagensis described by HKEP from Gaziantep Province, Kartal Dağı. The stock was identified only this spring and it completely match original description
This spring Crocus kosaninii looks wonderful and I changed my opinion about it to much higher point
The cv. 'White Splash' I got last autumn from Gothenburg as belonging to Crocus x leonidii group. Contrary to other cultivars of this cross which are basically yellow, this one is purest white.
Last two pictures are of crocus easy identifiable by invariably white stigma, although flower colour is quite variable. It is Crocus leucostylosus.
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Two more pictures of crocuses with white stigma - at this timer they represents Crocus minutus but from 2 forms not mentioned in original description of HKEP and well reproducing itself from seeds without any splitting of colour - blue-white striped and yellow.
Then 2 pictures of C. mediotauricus. The first comes from Dirk and I suppose its is offspring from type collection. The second is my own collection - only 1 corm from the region from where mediotauricus comes, collected out of flowers. Its identity - difficult to tell, looks something different and as it is usually with species published by HKEP - type localities are mentioned so approximately, that not easy to identify.
The last is picture of crocus identified by me and Ibrahim as Crocus mysius. There are some minor discrepancies, but this is the closest one and could be caused by intraspecific variations.
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This entry is dedicated to various gatherings of crocuses identified as Crocus munzurense. Although in original description HKEP mention that it is growing in Erzincan province, all those were originally collected to South from this province - in Tunceli province (inclusive sample collected and identified by HKEP) and S from it. Those from most southern gatherings is almost identical, only stigmatic branches of those are very sparsely papillose. They all are forming pea-size cormlets at base of new corm (in cultivation), not observed in other related species. All crocus samples found by me in Erzincan Province (N of Munzur Daglari) looks completely different.
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Outside again is heavy snowing. All garden became white although at weekend is promised even + 14 C.
In this entry Crocus neapolitanus, the name which must be applied for those earlier regarded as vernus with large flowers, because now the name "vernus" must be used for former small blooming albiflorus.
Then two unusual Crocus olivieri - Albina, found by Ibrahim as single plant and well replacing itself from seeds; and old cv. 'Chocolate Soldier' got by me from "down under" - from famous Australian nurserymen Marcus Harvey after whom I named Crocus harveyi. Chocolate Soldier was received as C. balansae cultivar, but here I never observed more than 6 branches in its stigma, so replaced it as cv. of C. olivieri.
Next is C. paschei named after my good friend Erich Pasche by his travel partner H. Kerndorff.
And last is crocus from Iran named after another my friend - Reinhard Fritsch - famous explorer of Alliums and author of monographs about Iranian Allium and published on internet - about Central Asian Alliums.
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Crocus roseoviolaceus belongs to most spectacular spring crocuses. It was discovered by HKEP and something later by me and few Turkish botanists during common trip. Turkish botanists proposed to name it after me and got even page proofs to be published in September, when in June came out paper from HKEP where same crocus was named as roseoviolaceus, so Turkish paper was recalled.
But I didn't remained without mine crocus. Last year another new species of exceptional beauty was named after me by Dimitry Zubov as Crocus ruksansii
Last three pictures in this entry is of crocus from another E Aegean Island - from Samos - I named it by my very long-time friend, botanist Arnis Seisums, who now works together with Tony Hall on monograph about Juno irises - Crocus seisumsiana. The third picture shows albino of C. seisumsiana.
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In this entry some selections from Cretan Crocus sieberi. Included mutation of Hubert Edelsten - 'George'- this year distinctly;y darker than its parent.
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And here selections from Crocus versicolor. In XIX century there were at least 18 cultivars of this beautiful species registered. Now is none. May be some will come from those?
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Again several samples of single species - from various localities. In this case Crocus veluchensis. Some looks very similar, some distinct. Several only started to show out noses.
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I hope today finish with the pictures from March to open new topic about April.
The first 3 pictures shows some variability of Crocus simavensis aff. from Ulus Dag 13TUS-038 - only 3 corms were collected (supposed to be C. chrysanthus) and all turned different.
Next Crocus sp. is something similar and was collected between Edremit to Balikesir - by length of anthers to filaments. In this region several interesting crocuses are growing, but data about areal of distribution is so approximate, that not easy to find something. Always it is great luck.
The last is Crocus tahtaliensis.
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In Erzincan Province N of Munzur Dag are growing several crocuses quite similar to C. sakaltutanensis - are they the same or only related, can be confirmed only by DNA - difficult at present for me.
Crocus taseliensis is the last from "biflorus" crocuses in March series of pictures and seem that no one will come in April as the last already finished blooming. There are intermixed forms with black and yellow anthers in same population. All my samples again are collected in some distance from mentioned locus classicus but morphologically are inseparable from type (at least according published description), although those from W part of area (as I understand it) - RUDA-008 and 020 - looks something different.
This form of Crocus reticulatus was collected in Georgia, N from Krestovi Pereval on Georgian Military Highway on very grassy "meadow" positioned on steep slope between rocks
The last in this entry is C. scepusiensis from very South of Poland.
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Nothing very special left.
The first is C. suaveolens from Thomas Huber
Then C. sublimis from Republic of Macedonia and famous cultivar of it 'Tricolor'.
Follow Crocus tomoricus aff. from Greece and related to it
C. veluchensis from Mt. Ossa in Greece
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One more "biflorus"was overlooked - it is Crocus weldenii from Slovenia
Then 3 colour forms of crocus which now brings name of C. vernus, but earlier was known as albiflorus
And last here - beautiful form of Crocus tommasinianus from John Grimshaw - 'Picta'.
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And now came time for the last "March" entry
Two hybrids - from x leonidii 'Ego'
and from tommasinianus mine 'Yalta'
Last picture shows virus infection symptoms noted only on picture - fortunately flowers not wilted and it was possible to destroy this plant, but other in pot was marked as suspicious - to keep separate. Fortunately it already was kept separately, because this stock was bought (received) quite late last autumn when all my own crocuses was already repotted, so its pot was placed in some distance from other crocuses.