Re: Crocus April 2009

[Guff]

These two I'm not too sure about, are they virused? The tips on the flower buds looked damaged as they were coming up. Maybe another flower will grow. It's too bad if the heuffelianus is virused, it's a nice shade.

Picture 1    Heuffelianus
Picture 2    Etruscus 'Rosalind

[udo]

few from my last Crocus for this spring:
Cr.olivieri ssp.olivieri
 ''  veluchensis, pale form
 ''  scardicus

[Janis Ruksans]

These two I'm not too sure about, are they virused? The tips on the flower buds looked damaged as they were coming up. Maybe another flower will grow. It's too bad if the heuffelianus is virused, it's a nice shade.

Picture 1    Heuffelianus
Picture 2    Etruscus 'Rosalind

Plant on right side 100% virus, left very suspicious for irregular markings at tips, not normally for healthy plant.
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

Oh, just started spring here. Although still there are snow and all is so damp that impossible to walk between nursery beds. The first started to bloom Uschak Orange, a day later C. korolkowii. Yesterday C. abantensis showed noses out of soil and surprisingly early came out first flower of C. sieberi 'Michael Hoog's Memory'.
In greenhouse the latest crocuses started blooming - C. pelistericus (scardicus just showed only noses) and minimus. Nice surprise between seedlings of C. cvijicii Cream of Creams - between light creamy one purest white came up.
But there are bad news, too. During winter I lost at least 2 Crocus species - 5 different stocks of C. laevigatus and 3 stocks of C. caspius. I think the3y were lost at start of winter when pots were without winter cover. Temperature suddenly dropped to minus 20 C at Saturday and Sunday but I was ill (few days before hospital with surgical treatment) and got helpers only on Monday when holidays ended. I hope that there will no one more be added to this list. Sometimes it is not easy to find winters damage especially on species wintering with leaves. Not well looks C. adanensis and several samples of antalyensis, too.
Janis

[Paul T]

Janis,

That civijicii alba is excellent.  I love that species, but great to see a white/cream form.  Beautiful.

[Guff]

Janis, thanks.

I bought three of these. Does pollen transfer the virus, the bees were all over them. Also should I just pull these out now? Or should I wait to see if atleast I get some seed?

Heres another picture with all three plants.

[Guff]

This plant I found in my lot of Twilight's last spring, only one out of the bunch that had pollen. I really like this one with the wide silver edge.

[Guff]

Paul, heres a better picture of Tatra Shades.

Picture 1    Tatra Shades

Picture 2    Carpathian Wonder, this is my favorite. I did remove the anthers to use the pollen.

Picture 3/4/5  Wildlife or Darkeyes?

[Guff]

Picture 1/2    Vernus Haarlem Gem

Picture 3       Tommasinianus Albus

[Janis Ruksans]

Janis, thanks.

I bought three of these. Does pollen transfer the virus, the bees were all over them. Also should I just pull these out now? Or should I wait to see if atleast I get some seed?

Heres another picture with all three plants.

I suppose all three are infected - the first from right something doubtful, but for safety... I think you must destroy them all as as soon as possible. Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

Paul, heres a better picture of Tatra Shades.

Picture 1    Tatra Shades

Picture 2    Carpathian Wonder, this is my favorite. I did remove the anthers to use the pollen.

Picture 3/4/5  Wildlife or Darkeyes?

Wildlife! (3/4/5)
Janis

[Boyed]

Guf,

It's true, your all three cr. heuffelianus samples look virus infected. The deformation of flowers is obvious.

Relating crocus vernus 'Twilight', if it is obtained from John Scheepers, it could be heavily infected with virus mosaic of leaves. My all stock of this variety from this company was heavily infected. I advise you to inspect the leaves.

Pollen doesn't contain virus, virus is in the juice. The bees don't transfer the virus if they do their work accurately. But in many cases they make damages (cracks, etc) by their legs when collecting the pollen and virus transfers into the plant.

[Guff]

Janis, thanks for the help and ID on Wildlife. I will pull them and toss them out Thursday, winter has returned and the ground is frozen.

Boyed, thanks for the info on the pollen. Was alittle worried about the other crocus in the small bed would/might be virused next spring. I will make sure to look close next spring just in case.

Yes, the Twilight's did come from Scheepers, I will look Thursday. Is there two different types of viruses, one leaf, other damages the flower, or are both the same? I don't think I could destroy the Twilight(it's too nice) Will replant far away from my others.

[Boyed]

Guff,

We discussed crocus virus in previous crocus threads.
Here I will summerise for you. There are different types of virus deceases affecting crocus. The most commons are:
1. rattle virus - flowers are deformed, some bloooms look as if they polished, leaves look healthy;
2. colour-breaking virus - flowers are not deformed, but get irregular stripes, leaves look healthy;
3. leafe mosaic - flowers look perfect without any signs of decease, but leaves get irregular lighter stripes;
4. combined virus - combination of rattle of colour breaking virus together with leafe mosaic.

Crocus vernus 'Twilight' is infected with 3-rd type, which is most spread among Dutch grown crocuses. Nowadays it is very difficult to find virus-free Dutch grown crocus vernus.

'Twilight' is indeed, very beautiful. I didn't want to trash it, but did it. I recommend to replant your stock of it far from your other crocuses and later try to collect seeds and grow seedlings. I am sure many of the seedlings will resemble mother plant.

[johanneshoeller]

The snow is melting here and the ice of the lake will soon be brocken. The first Crocus vernus are coming today.
Some are blue, but most are white and all are very tiny.
I have seen only a few dark blue Crocus in common with the C. vernus, but they are much taller. What could it be (maybe a garden form.
The last photo shows Crocus neapolitanus in my garden.