Crocus March 2009

[Thomas Huber]

Simon, I'm anxious what the experts say regarding my cultivars "Dorothy" and "Fuscotinctus".
This year I can see differences between them. I studied the plantsman March 1997 article. But must still confirm when open if my "Dorothy" has basal lobes without black. Not easy to distinguish both, they resemble so much.
I wait for your picture.

Armin, this is my 'Dorothy' taken today- again I am interested to hear if she is true.
Simon.

Simon and Armin, the main difference between Dorothy and Fuscotinctus is the
fuzzy/misty feathering in Dorothy while in Fuscotinctus it is clear.
So your both Dorothy's are correct.

[Sinchets]

Finally a crocus I am not sure of, as i must have grown from a small corm left behind by the voles. Any ideas?

Crocus versicolor, imperati or etruscus.  Favoured in that order.  Show us a pic of the flower from above.

The inside of the crocus- is it open enough to help?
Also Crocus vernus scepusiensis? and Crocus gargaricus in the open garden.
Thanks for the verification re: 'Dorothy', Thomas.

[Sinchets]

A woodland form of Crocus veluchensis.

[Janis Ruksans]

Just returned from short trip to Crimea. Trip was surprisingly successful. Snow gone 3 days ago. On Friday there was rain, on Saturday (when I was there) - cloudy, very strong wind but sufficiently light for Crocus could open, and at evening started small rain and rain was promissed for Sunday, too. So I was just at short "window" between bad weather. Just opposit to autumn visit for Crocus speciosus when it happens just on day when rained between weeks of sunny weather. Walked some 20 km and now all leg muscles are painfull. Difficult even to pass few steps. Not surprisingly after all winter passed sitting only at computer. Greatest surprises with Crocus tauricus was the flower color. My first gathering was made 30 years ago on Ai-Petri yaila. There were plenty of snow and only on S faced slopes very first tauricus opened. I collected some 10 corms only. Ai-Petri yaila is the coldest yaila and not so flat, it is very "wavy". Tschatir-Dag is more flat with carst depressions. C. tauricus from Ai-Petri was very variable in color, but all had yellow throat (but I judged by really few, early runners). Now I was shocked with blackish connectives on anthers (very rare) and plenty of brown edged yellow throats. Color from purest white throughout (one) to pinkish brown/purple (one). Most blue based, some almost black-purple, apr. 5% white. The corm on picture was pushed out of soil by mole (or similar) and died but it shows how old can be corm in wild without any increasing.
Pictures divided on two posts.
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

Other pictures of Crocus tauricus on Tschatir-dag Yaila
Janis

[tonyg]

Finally a crocus I am not sure of, as i must have grown from a small corm left behind by the voles. Any ideas?

Crocus versicolor, imperati or etruscus.  Favoured in that order.  Show us a pic of the flower from above.
[/quote]
The inside of the crocus- is it open enough to help?
[/quote]
I'm leaning towards Crocus imperati which flowers earlier and has the prominent white bract visible in your earlier pic.  Flower shape and markings are also indicators, but a wide open shot would be good.  It is not 'de Jager' 'the trade form though.

[Sinchets]

Thanks Tony- i did have a form of Crocus imperati - so I guess this is it.

[Sinchets]

Another reappearance courtesy of the voles- Crocus heuffelianus (not sure which form), growing in with a patch of Crocus chrysanthus, and Crocus vernus vernus

[Michael J Campbell]

Crocus malyi 'sveti roc' AH.8651

[tonyg]

Tony, I have a couple of the trade form of minimus ready for the dissection knife. Which bits am I especially looking for?

Sorry for slow response - was not at home with the book yesterday.
Well - BM says miminus should have a small bracteole enclosed within the bract which is wrapped around the flower as it emerges.  BUT some plants of minimus have been found to lack it!!!  Also the corm tunic has parallel fibres in C minimus and reticulate ones in C corsicus. 
You do appear to have the 'trade' form of C minimus.  I have several forms of C corsicus but none have the distictive flower shape of that (and other) forms of C minimus.  However apart from the corm tunics all the features that BM uses to distinguish the 2 taxa are blurred by overlap.  Recent cytological evidence does at least support the view that the two taxa are closely related while chromosome studies from 1980 support them as seperate taxa.  In Corsica an overlap zone in their distribution has given rise to a report of hybrids between them although C corsicus is reported as being from higher locations (500-2300m) while C minimus is found lower (Sea level - 1500m)
Good job they are both lovely!!

[Boyed]

Dear Janis,
Thanks for a nice story and wonderful photos. Surprised to see such variations and colour range.

Simon,
Your crocus heuffelianus form seems to be 'National Park'.

[Thomas Huber]

Wow Janis - wonderful colours of Crocus tauricus. Last summer I received two corms
from a good friend, both are flowering now in the same fantastic colours!

[tonyg]

I'll second that!  Great to see the wild places where our favourite plants grow and the variation that occurs in nature.  Thanks Janis.

[art600]

Janis

Stunning variation in tauricus - and Nature was kind to group several variations in one spot to make an excellent photograph 

[Lesley Cox]

Beautiful tauricus forms but what amazes me is the picture with the old basal plates under a new corm. It seems that particular plant has been regenerating for at least 20 years! That pictures tells a wonderful story.