Crocus January 2007

[Guff]

Michelsonii sure is nice, no matter what form.

I found this link at the alpine garden, has pictures of different species. It does show a picture of corsicus, it has the yellow, hope this helps.

http://www.thealpinegarden.com/thumbnailindexcrocus.htm

[udo]

Anthony, also by I.histrio var. aintabensis, i have a dark form
from wild collected seed near Aintab in Turkey.

[Anthony Darby]

Gosh, that is a beauty. I have few irises and certainly not histrio in any of its forms. I will have to rethink my views on this genus?

[Paddy Tobin]

A fabulous blue.

Paddy

[Thomas Huber]

I would like to hear Tony G's opinion in the corsicus/imperati question!

[tonyg]

Thomas your observation is excellent as always.  You have picked up on something that I had not noticed namely that one (or more) form of C corsicus that we grow has a yellow throat.  At this time I would still call Andrews plant and your 'corsicus' C corsicus.  I too have this form (mine was from Pottertons in 1988 - I think they get their stock from Holland).  I also grow two other forms which do not have the yellow in the throat.  All are illustrated below.  Usually the two do not flower at the same time - these are pictures from other years.

In my limited experience the leaves of C imperati are quite different to those of C corsicus.  C imperati has more wider leaves that always appear early and tend to curve outwards, not upright.  C corsicus has fewer, narrower, upright leaves.  Have alook at yours and see what you think.  We must reserve judgement for now but it wil be interesting to find out what other experts think.

[ian mcenery]

Thomas and Tony the plot thickens my Corsicus which you wondered was Imperati was also purchased from Potterton.

[Thomas Huber]

Just checked my plants:
Crocus corsicus, originally collected on Corsica has much thinner and fewer leaves
than the one I bought as corsicus in Holland. But no flowers so far, the corms are
still very small, maybe next year.

[ian mcenery]

Here is some hope for the future bulb seeds from Tony G and Thomas and from SRGC and AGS  all in various stages of germination. There are about 60 pots of Crocus and Narcissus species if I don't kill them. All planted to the bulb despots instructions too. It certainly brightens up your day

[Guff]

I been looking over the pictures of Imperati and Corsica.
I see a difference in the feathering of the purple/black veining on each white petal. Corsica has many more veining/feathering out to the outer edge of the petal, Imperati hardly has any.

[Thomas Huber]

Guff, be carefull,
Don't use the feathering of a plant alone for ID!!!!

All those plants are very variable, you can find imperati without any feathering and also
with a strong feathering like in the plants above if you look in the wild.

The Dutch plants were selected by their beauty in the past and DO NOT represent
typical flowers of their species!!!

[Joakim B]

Here is the first crocus here in Portugal.
It is one from a bunch bought in a gardencenter so I have no clue what it is.
Is it possible to say what it is from these pics?

It had very little brown markings on the outside "throught base" not so well seen on the open flower but better seen on the closed, but then I did not have the camera.

Sorry to put a cat amongst the hermelines (minks).

Kind regards
Joakim

[I.S.]

  Hi Joakim !
It seems the spring is come in everywhere. I think your crocus might be flavus ssp flavus. this should
flower a little bit later ! The experts can tell better!

   best wishes.

[Lesley Cox]

Joakim, if you put a cat among the minks, what do you set among the pigeons?

[Thomas Huber]

Ibrahim you're right - Joakims Crocus is Crocus flavus, not the wild ssp flavus
but the trade form "Golden Yellow" also called "Yellow Mammoth".