Crocus September 2009

[Oakwood]

Tony! Many thanks! I'm so happy you like it!

Here I post some locality views of Crocus scharojanii low altitude populations (valleys of rivers at Russian-Abkhasian border) and high altitude populations (Abishira-Akhuba mnt. ridge) - N. Caucasus.
For Crocus pallasii - it's a plato at 300 m in S. Crimea.

[art600]

Dima
Thank you so much for posting your photos.  Have always wanted to visit, but it is considered too dangerous - even more than Iran where I hope to return next Spring.

[Maggi Young]

Dima, it is always a pleasure to see your wonderful photographs and to hear from your trips. Thank you! 

[Sinchets]

Dimitri- are the C.pallasii in Krim flowering after rain? Or is the soil there still quite dry? We have not seen any wild ones here yet in Bulgaria and  did not now if it was still too hot and dry.

[Oakwood]

Arthur! It's a strong "must" to visit Caucasus for me one more time! I liked it so much!!!!! May be one time it will be not so dangerous as all people consider it and you will visit this extremally native region too! And I wonder to visit Iran in spring!!!!

Maggy! Many thanks! Nice to hear from you too 

Sinchets! C. pallasii bloom in Crimea from second half of October when it makes not more so hot there and the rains begin....

[ashley]

Dima,

Welcome back; it's great to hear from you again and to see these fascinating plant and habitat pictures.  The CC. scharojanii and pallasii you show are really magnificent

Last pictures for today. Great surprise was solitary flower of Crocus cambessedesii - so unusually early here. Usually it is between the last. Beautifully withstand horrible weather early form of Crocus boryi. For the first time blooms Crocus serotinus salzmannii 'El Torcal'. I got it only this autumn, so possibly for that reason flower isn't very perfect. Started blooming of Crocus asumaniae. Several aquisitions of C. hadriaticus are in full bloom or close to it. Crocus cartwrightianus CEH-618 hope will open fully tomorrow.
Janis

More wonderful crocus Janis.  Thanks for showing them.
Does your C. cartwrightianus CEH-618 have a yellow throat?  It somewhat resembles what I posted earlier as ? hadriaticus.
The C. serotinus salzmannii 'El Torcal' you show looks like it has a form very distinct from that of many 'usual' serotinus salzmannii.  Is this really the case and is it normal?

[Paul T]

Dima,

Fantastic photos.  I love Crocus pallasii 8 in particular, and the last of the Corydalis (cool blue leaves and purple flowers).  Seeing the locality views is amazing!! 

Thanks so much.

[Thomas Huber]

Hi Dima - what a glorious comeback after your long break.
Wonderful photos of plants and habitats - if you have more, please don't hesitate to show'em here.

[tonyg]

Crocus cartwrightianus CEH-618 hope will open fully tomorrow.
Janis

More wonderful crocus Janis.  Thanks for showing them.
Does your C. cartwrightianus CEH-618 have a yellow throat?  It somewhat resembles what I posted earlier as ? hadriaticus.

I thought this too Ashley ... BUT Collection numbers (and names) do get muddled in transit sometimes.  I have several accessions with identical numbers which have turned out to be different taxa!  I once challenged C  (as in CEH) about a wrongly named bulb and was told it was not good commercial practice to correct such mistakes - because it confuses the customer who may buy the 'old' plant again under the 'new' name.  Hopefully Janis can give us the definitive answer.

[Janis Ruksans]

Crocus cartwrightianus CEH-618 hope will open fully tomorrow.
  Hopefully Janis can give us the definitive answer.

I'm confused, too. I was so busy in last days, that didn't thought about how looks species, simply read label and made picture. I don't think that there are mix in my stocks, but in my notes only number and no information from where it comes. Certainly it didn't look as cartwrightianus, but I have no idea looking on picture what it could be. Today was so horrible weather that I all the day worked at computer and didn't visited greenhouse. Will try tomorrow although again weather broadcast offers endless heavy rains.
Janis

[Armin]

Dimitri,
thank you very much for showing us crocus species with many of their variants in their wild habitat.  
This is always a source of new findings for our creedal passion.

[Janis Ruksans]

  Hopefully Janis can give us the definitive answer.

At least I found that this sample comes from Antoine Hoog in France (earlier Hoog & Dix, Holland), CEH is abbreviation for one of his early trips with Paul Christian and David Elliot and I never before checked its identity as it never before bloomed with me. It is first flowering in my collection (judging by pictures and notes in planting books of last 5 years), so I'm more intrigued about its name. Another CEH sample in my collection (519) is Crocus malyi and it is true to name.
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

  Hopefully Janis can give us the definitive answer.

At least I found that this sample comes from Antoine Hoog in France (earlier Hoog & Dix, Holland), CEH is abbreviation for one of his early trips with Paul Christian and David Elliot and I never before checked its identity as it never before bloomed with me. It is first flowering in my collection (judging by pictures and notes in planting books of last 5 years), so I'm more intrigued about its name. Another CEH sample in my collection (519) is Crocus malyi and it is true to name.
Janis

I suppose it is hadriaticus.
Janis

[Hans A.]

@Dimitri, thanks for this fantastic pictures!

[Sinchets]

Thanks too, Dimitri. Hopefully they will be open here too soon, if the weather does cool down this weekend.
Flowering here today so more more muddled up plants rescued last year from the voles and planted out with the nearest labels. 
The first is labelled as C.cancellatus mazziaricus, but I cannot see a bract and bracteole arrangement.
The next is, I think, C.niveus flowerig through Helianthemum.