Crocus March 2017

[Janis Ruksans]

Crocus gembosii seedlings always brings some surprises. Here some of those.

[Janis Ruksans]

In last Stapfia issue (December, 2016) Kerndorff & al. published article where critised some of my new species and especially under doubt was put C. duncanii. I discussed this in my book (I still had time and possibility to re-arrange page layout for this species), but this spring observations on cultivated plants showed that my data are even more than correct. So I put here a pair of pictures from plants collected at both observed populations where C. duncanii is growing. They all are very uniform by flowers and flower dimensions - the length and width index in crocus duncanii for outer segments was between 4.6 to 4.8, and for inner segments 4.0-4.3, in the same time even the slimmest flower of crocus carpetanus had width and length indexes 3.7 and 2.8.
Another picture shows Crocus carpetanus grown from seeds sent to me by Rafa-Diez.
On next picture are flower segments of C. duncanii (top row - each from different population) and C. carpetanus (2 bottom rows, 4 different populations) fixed on sticky tape. Each flower is from different population, selected were typical flowers, only one - the smallest and most slender were specially fixed to compare with typical C. duncanii - to check aren't some overlapping.
The last picture is from another cross between abantensis and ancyrensis - C. x paulinae. Cross made by myself in cultivation.

[Janis Ruksans]

In this series - Crocus gunerii. Before this species was published by Turkish botanists, I regarded my plants as some wild hybrid.

[Janis Ruksans]

In this entry 3 pictures of Crocus leucostylosus (type gathering)
Crocus abantensis 'Azkaban's Escapee' and
Crocus candidus from near Čan

[Janis Ruksans]

Crocus demirizianus (type gathering)
Crocus olivieri 'Albina' found in wild by Ibrahim, this spring for the first time bloomed its open pollinated seedlings - all identical with mother plant.
Crocus tauricus so named "Red Form"
Crocus tommasinianus selection from John Grimshaw - 'White Pointed'.

[Janis Ruksans]

For this moment last entry (still many pictures left)
Crocus athous from Athos peninsula really is marvellous!
Another from N Greece - Crocus orphei - occasionally has black in anthers.
Then Crocus mediotauricus from HKEP gathering and after that mine gathering from approximately same locality, but could be different species. Problem is that real localities of new species published by HKEP are not mentioned even on the type herbarium sheets so making them practically invaluable and unusable for other scientists.
And as last - Crocus atticus from suburbs of Athens.

[Janis Ruksans]

Still very few from yesterday, when some sun shined in afternoon
Crocus brickellii - from C. danfordiae family but with long stigma and large throat - 23 colour forms
Crocus violaceus
Crocus pestalozzae
and as last white form of C. thirkeanus (herbertii) from Boz Dag - it is the first blooming 4 years after its collecting

[Janis Ruksans]

New Crocus species very recently was published - Crocus heilbronniorum Erol. It is published in Phytotaxa 298 (2): 173–180, 2017.
Seem to be good species, although there are some discrepancies between published pictures (especially in design) and description.
It is close relative of C. atrospermus (genetically) but very different by morphology. At present it is placed in series Lyciotauri with unusual basal rings for this series and special proportion between filaments/anthers length (according description, but not after pictures).

So already started process which puts my book out of date, but in my book is noted - situation on the 1st December, 2016. As I know 3 -4 more new species are under preparation by different botanists.

[sokol]

Fantasic pictures Janis.

I enjoyed the nice weather yesterday to take some pictures in the garden and since then I am speculating what Crocus I have from the former YU. The first two can also originate from Montenegro, I am unsure where I have collected the seeds.

The first two are small flowered, the other big.

[sokol]

The next are from Greece but I don't know where Crocus sublimis is from.

[sokol]

and some more.

[Janis Ruksans]

Fantasic pictures Janis.

I enjoyed the nice weather yesterday to take some pictures in the garden and since then I am speculating what Crocus I have from the former YU. The first two can also originate from Montenegro, I am unsure where I have collected the seeds.

The first two are small flowered, the other big.

The first two is now vernus (former albiflorus)

[Janis Ruksans]

Today was only slightly clouded day, so it was possible to picture some crocuses.
In this entry pictures from Bulgarian crocus known in Bulgaria as C. adamii, but it certainly isn't adamii and not adamioides, too, although this name is attached to pictures. Actually this species is under research of HKEP as they visited Bulgaria, but my plants comes from Bulgarian nurseryman, although originally was collected in wild. So I decided not to include it in my book - leaving its publication to German researchers.

[Janis Ruksans]

Now true adamioides - two pictures from KKEP collection and one from mine own, and last two are C. antherotes which I got from Dirk.

[Janis Ruksans]

Now the first is Crocus atticus from near Athens
Then C. bifloriformis (my own collection)
and last three are hybrids
The first is selection from Juris Egle hybrid Jūrpils (most likely accidental mix in stock) and last two are from my best white 'Snow Crystal'