Crocus October 2014

[ruben]

Thanks Janis for the clear explanation! Today the flower was open and WOW i love it!

Sun today :-d
 Crocus ligusticus
 Crocus pallasii ex HONAZ DAG (from crocus group)
 Crocus ibrahimii 
 

[ruben]

Crocus robertianus : we had a discussion with some croconuts and they have a doubt this is the true crocus robertianus. Its a very interesting discussion so i post it here to hear what you're opinion. Please let me know.

[tonyg]

When Ibrahim sent me the first corms of this crocus my first opinion was that it is hybrid, too. It was the reason why I visited Turkey in Europe. I drove along the all mountain ridge and everywhere found only Crocus ibrahimii and no one pulchellus or speciosus was seen there. The last pulchellus I saw just at Istambul (even inside city border), then was gap without crocuses and  further started C. ibrahimi almost to Bulgarian border, so may be it could be found in adjacent Bulgaria, too.
Janis

Does Ibrahim look in this area each season?  I wonder if the hybrid might flower before/after the parents?  In my few crocus travels I have noticed that flowering season can be very short.... indeed also true here in cultivation :-(
I remember when C goulimyi leucanthus was described that it was said not to grow with the blue flowered plants but I spoke to someone who had been to the locations another year and found blue flowered plants too.

[Tony Willis]

Some in flower in a bit of sun today

Crocus assumaniae
Crocus goulimyi two forms and 'Mani White'

[Tony Willis]

a few more

Crocus robertianus one of which is almost white. two views
Crocus cancellatus which grows with it
Crocus speciosus from Turkey Zigana Pass
Crocus wattiorum which opens too wide in bright sunlight.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Formidable Crocus, Tony !

[Tony Willis]

Formidable Crocus, Tony !

thanks Luc,

a lot have spoilt in the past week with no sun,growing up and falling over and so it was nice to get a good day

[art600]

Tony

Great to see your Crocus are still thriving.

The robertianus you showed are very different from those that Ruben has shown.  What do you think his might be - they are much more striped than any I saw in the wild and more than yours that look typical.

Arthur

[Janis Ruksans]

Does Ibrahim look in this area each season?  I wonder if the hybrid might flower before/after the parents?  In my few crocus travels I have noticed that flowering season can be very short.... indeed also true here in cultivation :-(
I remember when C goulimyi leucanthus was described that it was said not to grow with the blue flowered plants but I spoke to someone who had been to the locations another year and found blue flowered plants too.

Ibrahim's garden is just in region of this crocus and he is there every weekend. He found this crocus and it is reason why I named it just Crocus ibrahimii. He told me that he never found both possible parents on this ridge. So I have no doubt that this is true species. Regarding of seasonable changes in blooming time I observed such things by myself. When I was for the first time in Peloponess in one large locality I found thousands of Crocus melantherus but didn't saw any Crocus boryi, although there were plenty of C. boryi in some 10 km distance. Two years later I wanted to show this locality to my wife and revisited it - now there were plenty of C. boryi and no one melantherus, although melantherus we saw on other spots. But flowering season in nature is quite long - there are spots where you can find delayed flowers and some are more advanced.
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

I was extremely busy last week and didn't visit Crocus greenhouse. Weather is very cold and wet. Yesterday I returned from Sweden (Gothenburg BG) and today checked plantings. Pity. Many crocus flowers came out and died without any opening. I missed a lot. So today I passed several hours cleaning pots from old flowers (picture #1). Tomorrow will continue this job. Died flowers must be removed as soon as possible otherwise they can get mould which can go down and kill corm, too. But some blooms I pictured, mostly in buds but Crocus cartwrightianus had open flowers. On pictures form named 'Purple Heart' and some seedlings of it.
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

In fuill blooms but seen only in buds are various forms of Crocus melantherus.
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

I suppose that it was last moment to catch at least some pictures of Crocus archibaldiorum.
Crocus nerimaniae in nature is mostly virus-infected. It was quite difficult to get seeds of it, but seedlings looks healthy. Today I took away last pot (I hope) with virused nerimaniae and hope to next generation seedlings now from healthy plants. Here you can see how many flowers can make healthy corm.
Blooming started Crocus Crocus pumilus from Crete. Here one of its forms.
And as last picture today - true Crocus speciosus 'Oxonian' - true now is great rarity. In Gothenburg BG they bought from Holland for planting around 10 thousand autumn blooming crocuses, between those were several bags labeled as Oxonian, but all turned mix of various forms with no one Oxonian between those. All bought as Crocus pulchellus turned speciosus and only C. pulchellus Albus was true to name.
Janis

[ashley]

All very beautiful Janis, but that melantherus Gold is stunning.

[krisderaeymaeker]

Here some flowers from this weekend .

Crocus pulchellus  (Chios form) .

Crocus goulimyi .

[krisderaeymaeker]

And offcourse my  unknow soldier who I obtained as mathewii.
Doing very well outside !