Crocus from SW Turkey Feb-Mar 2009

[DaveM]

Sorry it's taken so long to fulfill my promise to post pics of Crocus captured during a visit to the Taurus mountains in late Feb and early March. So, here goes.

These are a bit of a mixed bag. The weather wasn't too kind and there had been a big dump of snow not long before we went. The snow line was at about 1000 m and so many of the species we had hoped to see were smashed to bits or present in very small numbers. The cold, overcast weather made it difficult to photo some species and great efforts were made to "encourage" specimens to open at least a wee bit. This included at some localities, a "hot-water" bottle was placed near to the clumps and a large plastic tub placed over the plant and bottle!! Amazingly it worked a treat - but not as good as a warm spring day - and we all froze whilst waiting!!

1.  Crocus sieheanus, Nur Dag - rather damaged by snow melt
2.  Crocus habitat from near Pozanti
3.  Crocus danfordiae - a miserable little species - in small numbers only from 2
4-8.  Crocus fleischeri - I really like the starry quality some of these are from the Pozanti locality, others from near Korkuteli

[DaveM]

Next batch:

Crocus graveolens - we saw this at a number of localities, including the Pozanti location of the last post, but also father east in the Taurus to the north of Kozan. Note variable markings on outside of tepals, some without.

Crocus reticulatus subsp. reticulatus - also seen north of Kozan and elsewhere

[DaveM]

I had high hopes of seeing abundant Crocus chrysanthus but only a few early flowerings were seen at Gundogmus, along with Crocus antalyensis...... (at same site as Iris stenophylla subsp. allisonii, and growing also with Colchicum minutum)

Crocus adanensis, in oak woodland near Yarpuz, Nur Dag, farther east. The woodland floor also hosted Cyclamen coum and Cyclamen pseudibericum.

[DaveM]

The low part of the north-facing screes on the shores of the seasonal Avlan Golu, near Elmali are host to the really special Crocus baytopiorum. The screes were quite mobile - a quite unusual habitat for a crocus I would have thought. Why would any self-respecting crocus want to grow in such a coarse, blocky deposit??? No competition perhaps?? Anyway, this crocus has quite an unusual colour which I hope I have captured well. A truly beautiful species.

Parts of the scree were made stable by trees and shrubs, under which there were abundant Cyclamen alpinum and also Crocus biflorus subsp isauricus

[Arda Takan]

Great shots and crocuses. I am proud to have such treasures in my country

[DaveM]

Other Crocus biflorus were seen also:

Crocus biflorus subsp nubigena

and

Crocus biflorus subsp pseudonubigena

[DaveM]

Thanks Arda - it was a pleasure to visit your country once again.

For me, the real gem of a crocus was this one from the Antalya region. The colour was unexpected. The habitat was in previously cultivated terraces, beneath sweet chestnut (Castanea) trees - and flowering in profusion. A truly magnificent sight that lifted our spirits on a warm morning after some days of cold overcast and snowy conditions.....

Crocus biflorus, subsp. crewei roseoviolaceus

[Lesley Cox]

What a marvellous time you had Dave and what a wonderful collection of crocuses all in one place. Such lovely variations too. Thanks for sharing your trip.

Arda, you have these beautiful plants available to you every day. Lucky you.

[Armin]

Fermi,
super crocus pictures - all very lovely, great color variations and all desireable!

Refering to the first pcitures - who a companied you on this tour?
Somebody from the forum?

[DaveM]

Thanks Lesley and Armin - it was a brilliant trip despite the weather and such cold at times. Not really in one place, Lesley, I think we must have travelled about 4000 km in the two weeks. Turkey is such a huge country with lots of places to explore.

Armin - no other forum members were there. Trip was led by Chris Gardener and Basak Guner (daughter of Adil Guner, Istanbul Botanic Garden)

[tonyg]

Thanks for sharing your trip .... the crocus are well worth the wait!
It must help having local guides, guess the UK end was organised by a tour operator?
The first pic in the most recent set is of two plants with extra petals.  Hard to tell if they were identical and it would be quite unusual for such a feature to be stable, yet for two to occur together it just might be so.
Wonderful to see such a range of species ... despite the weather?

[I.S.]

Dave! what lovely crocuses are these! You made me envy now.
It seems you were much luckyer than me. I was also in the sw part of Turkey in the same time but I wasn't so lucky   There were too much snow everywhere. You took me there again with all these nice pictures.
For your last one I would prefer to say C. biflorus subsp. isauricus instead of C. biflorus subsp. crewei. I have seen this crocus in many different locations. They were all white and with 2 or 3 broad grey leafs. Second thing it doesn't accur in Antalya province!
Arda, Welcome! This is the realy best forum for bulbous plants as you see here. You will find many
friends in love with bulbs

[I.S.]

Tony, I was also thinking the same. Two of them with eight petals and from different corms which seems with same ages!!!

[Tony Willis]

Dave really wonderful shots of the crocus in the wild.Always a pleasure to see.

[ian mcenery]

Thanks Dave  must have been a great trip