Trip to Jordan Nov/Dec 2011

[Thomas Huber]

Wow, Dave - a very interesting report with many 'to-die-for' plants, many thanks!!!

Please tell us, why do you or Oron think that the photos above show a new species
and not Crocus cancellatus to which it looks similar from the flowers
and also from the reticulated corm tunic?

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Thank you so much for showing these Dave ! 
Not only formidable plants but also great photography !  The landscapes are simply awesome and the Crocus... the Sternbergia...     Superb !

[Oron Peri]

Please tell us, why do you or Oron think that the photos above show a new species
and not Crocus cancellatus to which it looks similar from the flowers
and also from the reticulated corm tunic?

Thomas,

It is impossible to tell apart C. cancellatus from C. hermoneus only by the flower, they are almost identical.
The new species which grows in the area of Ajlun in Jordan and in the southern part of the Golan heights has a particular corm tunic which is a mix of papery  and reticulated tunic, not as the one of hermoneus [papary] and C. cancellatus [reticulated].
The first  layer is reticulated but under it is papery.
Interestingly it depends on water in order to flower which is not the case of the other two.
It might be somesort of an intermediate form between the two species.
Geographically it is isolated and situated in the middle between the distributions of Cancellatus cancellatus, cancellatus  damascenus, hermoneus palaestinus and hermoneus hermoneus however never in mixed populations as it occurs occasionally with the other species.
Attached a photo of the 3 corms together.

[Gerry Webster]

Sternbergia clusiana

This is such a stunning species, I feel. I have seen this several times before in Turkey but never in such a floriferous state with many multiflower clumps.......

Wish I could grow and flower this here   

Those S. clusiana have me drooling. I've had a bulb for 10 years & never seen a flower.

[Thomas Huber]

Thanks Oron. Your comparision shows the different corm tunics much clearer, on Dave's photo the it looks stronger reticulated. In every case an interesting plant. Do you have a phylogenetical result - I guess you know the girl who can make this?

[Hans A.]

  Wow! -Dave, thanks a lot for those breathtaking pictures! Great topic - definitely a trip on my wish list - and if somehow possible with the same guide...

[tonyg]

Fantastic report, makes me wish more than ever that I can go there one day.

(I have emailed about dates for 2012)

[Richard Green]

The stone masonary is exquisite. The Nabataean column is a magnificent example, clearly adapted from the classical Greek column heads.

It seems strange to see those stylised Acanthus leaves on the column capitals as I suppose there were probably no Acanthus leaves in Jordan.  The Nabataeans must have just copied the Greek Corinthian column heads rather than designing their own.  But then of course Greek architecture has been copied everywhere.  My flat in Glasgow has a complete plaster cornice of similar Acanthus leaves put there by the Victorians.

[Anthony Darby]

Gosh, nearly missed this. Amazing! Thanks for posting. I have forwarded the link to a friend who would be interested in pics of Jordan.

[BULBISSIME]

also missed it 
thank's a  lot for this report, it should have been a very nice trip, as usual with Oron.
very good pictures, congratulations

[krisderaeymaeker]

Superb Dave !!!!!!
Initially we want to subscribe for this tour too.....But due different reasons we changed our plans ...I see that we missed a lot !

[DaveM]

Thanks folks, pleased to share with you as it was such a fantastic trip.

Richard: We saw old flower spikes of Acanthus (A. syriacus??) beside the roads in places in northern Jordan. Interestingly, it seems the Nabataeans didn't directly copy the Corinthian columns - the Acanthus leaves are only present around the lower part of the capital rather than the whole of it in true Corinthian columns. Interestingly also, the Nabataean column base is Ionic in character (I didn't show that).

[Richard Green]

It is interesting to know that Acanthus does (and presumably did) grow in the area.

I also note some other plants above the leaves, maybe vines.