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Author Topic: Crocus February 2012  (Read 35236 times)

Martin Baxendale

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Re: Crocus February 2012
« Reply #255 on: February 29, 2012, 03:02:55 PM »
Do purists turn their noses up at natural hybrids found in the wild? It's purely geographical chance that keeps species apart which are capable of producing hybrids. As far as I'm concerned, hybridisation is a perfectly natural process. Of course selection of hybrid offspring for aesthetic purposes is another matter altogether, and especially if it's used to produce ever more extreme versions of the flowers involved. That's a matter of taste. I agree with Maggi that there's obviously room for both camps. The purists simply don't have to acquire the hybrids but concentrate on maintaining the species (whatever "species" means). Hybrising in cultivation has no impact on the species in the wild and may even reduce the pressure on wild species by collectors if more vigorous hybrids are available for the gardener. Ron, gene mixing within a species is obviously healthy but it doesn't usually produce the same sort of added vigour that hybridisation  can produce. For example, many of the popular and strong-growing "Chrysanthus" crocus are  hybrids between true chrysanthus and biflorus.
Martin Baxendale, Gloucestershire, UK.

ronm

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Re: Crocus February 2012
« Reply #256 on: February 29, 2012, 03:07:58 PM »
All valid points Martin. ;)

tonyg

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Re: Crocus February 2012
« Reply #257 on: February 29, 2012, 07:06:13 PM »
We both  run the risk of being shot, Ron  :P   Personally, I don't know why we can't try to do both... preserve species through vegetative propagation and make the occasional hybrid for some added vigour here and there  ??? ::)

I'd second that but some species are very slow vegetative increasers.  Intra-specific hybrids, between clones of the same taxa, are what I aim for.  If nothing else this gives much better seed set and helps me increase the plants.  Mind you, what with the trials of nature and the undiscriminating bees, I get all sorts of oddities!

Martin Baxendale

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Re: Crocus February 2012
« Reply #258 on: February 29, 2012, 07:35:05 PM »
I'm not anti species purists of course. I fully understand where they're coming from, and why it's important to maintain pure species in cultivation (for our enjoyment and, increasingly, as a conservation measure). I just don't have a problem with having hybrids too, as garden plants that are often more amenable to cultivation than pure species. I imagine some species purists worry that the hybrids may push out the species in gardeners' affections. But I'd imagine there will always be enough "specialist" gardeners who want to grow the species. At least I hope so.
Martin Baxendale, Gloucestershire, UK.

Hoy

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Re: Crocus February 2012
« Reply #259 on: February 29, 2012, 08:28:51 PM »
Speaking of hybrids - do sieberii and tomassianus cross? I have some plants occurring in my lawn that I suddenly realized could be such a cross. Picture:
Trond Hoy, gardening on the rainy west coast of Norway.

Roma

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Re: Crocus February 2012
« Reply #260 on: February 29, 2012, 08:38:04 PM »
Crocus 'Ruby Giant' in a pot in the cold frame
Crocus tommasinianus 'Whitewell Purple' in grass in my brother's garden.  I think it is over 30 years since I planted it there.
I must plant more crocuses in my own garden.
Roma Fiddes, near Aberdeen in north East Scotland.

Martin Baxendale

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Re: Crocus February 2012
« Reply #261 on: March 01, 2012, 12:16:51 AM »
Speaking of hybrids - do sieberii and tomassianus cross? I have some plants occurring in my lawn that I suddenly realized could be such a cross. Picture:

It's highly unlikely. They're not at all closely related. These look like pure tommasinianus to me.
Martin Baxendale, Gloucestershire, UK.

Hoy

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Re: Crocus February 2012
« Reply #262 on: March 01, 2012, 11:58:20 AM »
Speaking of hybrids - do sieberi and tomassianus cross? I have some plants occurring in my lawn that I suddenly realized could be such a cross. Picture:

It's highly unlikely. They're not at all closely related. These look like pure tommasinianus to me.

OK, thanks. It's what I thought but I noticed that the tepals, stamens and stigmas vary a lot. Some do look more like sieberi than tomassinianus.
Trond Hoy, gardening on the rainy west coast of Norway.

Martin Baxendale

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Re: Crocus February 2012
« Reply #263 on: March 01, 2012, 12:02:33 PM »
You can get a lot of variation from seed in tommasinianus. Sieberi has a yellow throat and I can't see any sign of that in your crocus.
Martin Baxendale, Gloucestershire, UK.

Hoy

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Re: Crocus February 2012
« Reply #264 on: March 01, 2012, 03:05:57 PM »
You can get a lot of variation from seed in tommasinianus. Sieberi has a yellow throat and I can't see any sign of that in your crocus.
OK, no yellow throats on these! Thanks.
Trond Hoy, gardening on the rainy west coast of Norway.

Janis Ruksans

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Re: Crocus February 2012
« Reply #265 on: March 01, 2012, 07:33:32 PM »
You can get a lot of variation from seed in tommasinianus. Sieberi has a yellow throat and I can't see any sign of that in your crocus.
OK, no yellow throats on these! Thanks.
I agree with Martin. I'm now in mountains so not often can reach internet and so rarely checking entries.
Janis
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ronm

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Re: Crocus February 2012
« Reply #266 on: March 01, 2012, 08:18:16 PM »
Wishing you good hunting Janis,  ;).
Travel safe please.

JimF

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Re: Crocus February 2012
« Reply #267 on: March 02, 2012, 08:35:37 PM »
Jim.
Take another look at your C kosaninii.  It does not look like the ones I grow.   Maybe it's just a trick of the light, as can happen with photos, but it looks a bit like C etruscus or C dalmaticus to me.

Thanks, Tony, for the heads up. You're right that it's probably not kosaninii. I was given 4 clumps of crocus, 4 names and told I could match them up! Three plants matched perfectly three names. So the last I thought was within reasonable, far-end variation of C. kos., looking at the books, etc. (but not noting the tunic before planting). I've written my friend to see what else he's growing, all bought from one vendor in the past 10 years. C. etruscus does looks very close.

Jim

Gerry Webster

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Re: Crocus February 2012
« Reply #268 on: March 02, 2012, 09:15:19 PM »
Do crocuses get Stagonospora? A pot of C. fleischeri appears to be badly infected by it. Also, my pot of C. minimus, has only froduced a few shoots this year. I knocked them out to have a look, expecting to find the others rotten, or eaten, but they are fine and firm, but still dormant. Any ideas?
I don't know about Stagonospora, but crocus do not appear to be doing well this year. A number of mine have very unhealthy looking leaves & others have just disappeared. I assume this is the effect of the severe cold of the 10-11 winter exacerbated by the cold snap this winter.
Gerry passed away  at home  on 25th February 2021 - his posts are  left  in the  forum in memory of him.
His was a long life - lived well.

 


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