Crocus September 2017

[Janis Ruksans]

Some common ones from the greenhouse today:-

Crocus longiflorus, from Crocus Group seed 2009
C. vernus, from Crocus Group seed 2012
C. goulimyi

Your "vernus" is pulchellus, David.

[Janis Ruksans]

Crocus gilanicus started today.

(Attachment Link)

(Attachment Link)

Excellent gilanicus!

[Janis Ruksans]

Blooming in my collection this autumn is very slow and I'm afraid that will not be very abundant display, but some nice flowers come out, although sequence of blooming is quite unusual. I suppose that reason is very cold summer and due watering/fertilizing problems in spring corms were smaller than usually.
This form of Crocus dispathaceus I got from Jim Archibald labeled as collected W of Muģla - it is quite far to West from typical area for this species and such acquisition isn't listed in Archibald's Master List, but plants looks quite typical, although colour is lighter, but I have no reason to put naming under doubt.
The lilac C. hadriaticus I bought from Antoine Hoog. So deep lilac flowers I never saw by myself in the wild, although occasionally lilac shaded forms I met in wild.
Crocus archibaldiorum I found during my first visit to Iran and described by their first blooming in my collection in the first autumn. Great was my surprise when genetics from Gatersleben told me that leaves sent for DNA contains very special genome of "speciosus" group and genome of pulchellus. I sent leaves from seedlings as original stock heavily suffered in the first winter and I almost lost it. Seedlings looked identical with originally collected plants. Later I restored it from new collection and another stock got from Germany. It has very special colouring type making identification quite easy, although position of stigma according anthers can vary.
On last two pictures are
Crocus pallasii s.l. from Turkey in Europe
and Crocus from cancellatus group, originally collected on Topuz pass between Urgup and Kayseri together with C. ancyrensis. Both has so similar tunics that were collected as cancellatus.

[David Nicholson]

Your "vernus" is pulchellus, David.

Thank you Janis, as I said to Stefan the name should have told me it wasn't right.

[sokol]

Next species that opened today is Crocus oreocreticus




and Crocus mazziaricus from Kyllini / Ziria in Northern Peloponnese.

[Janis Ruksans]

When I went to Crimea to search for the typical Crocus pallasii in its locus classicus (it was 3 years before Russia occupied Crimea) I collected only 3 pure white individuals, but I saw around 120-15 in very huge population near Kaya-Bash. But now between seedlings of it more and more whiter flowering individuals appear, each slightly different in flower shape, blooming time. Here two pictures from yesterday.
Start blooming of C. pulchellus - here sample collected near Čan in NW Turkey
For the first time blooms this acquisition of Crocus zubovii - there were several gatherings along road up to pass. On last picture you can observe typical stripes on cataphylls of this species.

[Janis Ruksans]

In this entry at first Crocus banaticus - bicoloured from Trajanus and 2 pictures from W Ukraine, E Carpathian mountains, near Mukachevo
Then seedling from C. cartwrightianus Purple Heart and
as last - Crocus clusii, kindly sent to me by Zhirair.

[Janis Ruksans]

The last pictures maid yesterday.
Still confused by colours. Here C. kotschyanus grown under label "White throat" collected in Syria by Jim Archibald when it was peaceful and friendly country. This autumn in its throat suddenly appear yellow spots and stigma turned much more divided. Here you can compare pictures from the same stock in 2016 and in 2017.
Next kotschyanus is from Turkey - HKEP-9317
Then another Crocus dispathaceus, from region where it is quite distributed but with lighter lilac flowers than characterised by E.A. Bowles, but in all aspects it is typical plant.
And on last picture - some colour variation in C. nudiflorus.

[Yann]

interesting

[Janis Ruksans]

Few pictures from today. Not many new came out, but I'm not disappointed - all the time I'm repotting and not much time for pictures. Today finished with Alliums and brought inside Cyclamens. Now left to plant only Tulips and Oxalis. Hope to finish next week or a little later. But in "Crocus World" today blooms:
Started blooming old Dutch cultivar of C. speciosus 'Albus'. Strange, usually it blooms well before 'Oxonian', but this year vice-verse.
On next two pictures are two forms of C. pulchellus - both comes from Chios Island. I mostly like this lighter one (KJGR-057C).
Out of Pelloponesse C. mazziaricus mostly have bluish toned flowers. Here plant from near Thiva.
And as last today - selection from C. cartwrightianus made by Antoine Hoog and named by me after one of his sons as 'Marcel".

[sokol]

My first Crocus vallicola opened its flowers today, thanks to a kind forum member.




Crocus cambessedesii is nicer from year to year.




and Crocus mazziaricus from Pagondas, Samos.

[sokol]

Crocus banaticus grows in the open garden.




and also Crocus speciosus that is coming out everywhere.

[Yann]

cambessedesii is very variable, some are elongated while other very compact, you grown a very nice form.

With nights getting cooler crocuses started to bloom, here's Crocus thomasii.
This is the second year grown in pure seramis, corms are twice the size of the ones grown in traditionnal mix soil, i'm thinking of repotting next year all my crocuses in these pebbles. I fertilise one time in two.

[Pauli]

In Upper Austria there are also the first Croci out - more commen types
goulimyi
goulimyi leucanthus
goulimyi "Harlekin Type"
speciosus albus