Crocuses in the Southern Hemisphere - 2009

[arillady]

Crocus olivieri ssp olivieri ex Marcus Harvey in 2003
I don't grow many Crocus but this one seems happy here in the open ground

[Paul T]

Congratulations Pat.  My seed grown from Marcus around that time (have been flowering for the last couple of years) aren't even up yet... still too early for them here as yet.  I discovered a munched by snails flower on Crocus imperatii ssp suavoleons today, plus I got a good photo of the Crocus minimus albus fully open today.  Lovely morning here, plenty of sun and a few things opened that I hadn't seen open.

[Paul T]

Thanks Maggi.  I didn't realise that "var fontenayii" was actually a strain rather than a clone (or is it actually a spp?).  I'm glad now that I didn't combine them when I was putting them all into the crocus garden last year.... I decided to wait and watch and check everything was what it was supposed to be.  Now I'll mark them as slightly different colours.  I assume that not only is fontenayii larger than the straight laevigatus, but it is also later?  Mine were starting as the straight species was starting to go over, and they've been flowering more and more since then.  Great extension of the species.

[Paul T]

Otto, will you post a picture of Cr.mimimus albus when it flowers please? I haven't seen it yet, just a single seed from Don last year and a single corm from Marcus, this, not up yet. I don't think anyone in the northern hemisphere belives that this is true, flowering so early as it does, compared with the "normal" minimus.

I just checked, and it was Lesley who was asking about the pics of Crocus minimus albus, so as well as the pics I posted yesterday (which show the outside of the flower as well), these are pics of the flower face on and fully open, as well as a closeup of the interior as best I could get it.  My camera refused to focus on the style unfortunately, so I had to live with this which hopefully shows enough arrangement to confirm the ID (or not).

[Lesley Cox]

These are great thanks Paul. I've heard so much about it that it's good to see it at last. My two corms from Marcus this year are well into leaf but won't flower. Maybe next. Interesting it's so early when ordinary minimus is quite late compared with others.

[Paul T]

So does it look right for minimus?

[Lesley Cox]

Well it's certainly the right shape. Besides, it came originally from Brian Mathew (to Otto, I think) so who's going to argue?

[Paul T]

That's a good point!

[Armin]

Hi Paul,
pretty nice white C. longiflorus and minimus.
Beautiful rounded pedal shapes of C. minimus.

[Paul T]

Thanks Armin.

[Ragged Robin]

Great photo and light on your Crocus minimus albus, Paul 

[Paul T]

Crocus imperatii ssp suaveolens is currently coming more and more into flower for me at the moment.  This has just captured the beauty of this variety beautifully I think.  Wish I could show you the full sized version

Also flowering now (but not yet photographed) are Crocus sieberi 'Violet Queen' and the first flower on Crocus rujanensis.  Still a few flowers appearing on some of the Crocus laevigatus as well.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Very nice specimen Paul !
Isn't this very early Equivalent to our early January ??

[Ragged Robin]

An absolutely wonderful shot, Paul, of a truly beautiful crocus 

[Lesley Cox]

Yes Luc, July equates to January in those SH countries which have a proper winter (exclude Fiji, Tonga, Cook Islands etc). It is our coldest month and we in Dunedin had -7C this morning. The ground looks like a snowfall. But I have a few early crocuses out or starting, chrysanthus from Mt Parnassos, the cvijicii x veluchensis seedlings and biflorus ssp melantherus, as well as laevigatus still which starts in June for me. Just too darned cold to go out and take picture.