Crocus October 2009

[Thomas Huber]

Crocus ligusticus ( = C. medius)

From Crocus Group seed ex a David Stephens coll. (DBS98-47). Italy, Liguria, between Carcare & Ferrania.

Gerry, I see your Crocus medius is also very small this year. I observed this in my collection, too.
Might have to do with the long, hot and dry summer? Last year my plants were nearly double in size!

[Gerry Webster]

Crocus ligusticus ( = C. medius)

From Crocus Group seed ex a David Stephens coll. (DBS98-47). Italy, Liguria, between Carcare & Ferrania.

Gerry, I see your Crocus medius is also very small this year. I observed this in my collection, too.
Might have to do with the long, hot and dry summer? Last year my plants were nearly double in size!

Yes Thomas, I thought it was rather small though I'm not sure why. Summer here was not particularly hot. For a number of years I used to keep my plants outside & uncovered but they never flowered. Now I keep them completely dry but cool when dormant & they flower but I'm not sure how to treat them for best flowering.

[Janis Ruksans]

Some of my crocuses are very small this autumn, too. Suppose the reason is cold summer as the blooming started later, too. At moment only one picture (darkest blue C. goulimyi ever seen by me) from yesterday as now outside is horrible weather - so strong wind that I just returned from cutting of falen trees closing my road for postman. Hope my greenhouses will not be blown away. Yesterday suddenly became so cold that I freesed making notes in grenhouise that even can't keep pencil  in my fingers more   and as result - some flue just 2 days before trip to Crimean mountains for pictures of Crocus pallasii.
Janis

[Armin]

Gerry,
regardless of the size your C. ligusticus, for my taste, is a stunner 
I just imagine the strong contrast of the radial white center with red style surrounded by the dark blue pedals in full sunshine. A delight.

Janis,
excellent color and photograph of C. goulimyi. We are also touched by the arctic cold stream. Had -1°C frost 7:00 AM, very early this year. I better do not look to my crocus flowers outside otherwise I would loose my good mood.
Wish you few storm damages and a fast recovery of your caught flu.

[Ragged Robin]

So excited to see the first noses of Crocus sativus up in my raised rockery bed 

[Gerry Webster]

Gerry,
regardless of the size your C. ligusticus, for my taste, is a stunner 
I just imagine the strong contrast of the radial white center with red style surrounded by the dark blue pedals in full sunshine. A delight.

Thanks Armin. Yes, it is very attractive, though my photo doesn't really do it justice. No sunshine here today so it remains closed.

[Viola]

I ask for your help. Who knows this Crocus?
You come the Mount Olympus in GR from the north.
Thank you Karl

[tonyg]

I ask for your help. Who knows this Crocus?
You come the Mount Olympus in GR from the north.
Thank you Karl

First impression says it is Crocus speciosus.  Although this has only recently been reported from Greece and should not have a yellow throat, so  .  The other possible is Crocus cancelleatus ssp mazziaricus.  A check of the corm tunic would help, papery for speciosus and netted for cancellatus.
It's a beauty whatever it is.

[Janis Ruksans]

I more tend to cancellatus mazziaricus. I have some very similar samples, but of course Tony is right - must to check corm tunics for determination. I'm attaching picture of one of my cancellatus mazziaricus.
Janis

[David Nicholson]

The last few days of sunny and mild weather has brought the Crocuses on a treat. These from today.

Crocus asumaniae-this one from Tony Willis in 2008.
C. speciosus xantholaimos x pulchellus from Tony Goode also in 2008.
C. pulchellus, another from the Tony Willis 'stable'.
C. serotinus ssp. clusii 'Poseidon'
C. goulimyi grown from 2006/07 SRGC Seed Ex. seed, sown 29 August 2007.

[mark smyth]

The black pollen in your Crocus speciosus xantholaimos x pulchellus looks better than the white pollen on my plants

[mark smyth]

I am happy to be able to recognise at least one Crocus speciosus in my collection. Great corms with two and three emerging noses. How they will be in the future time will tell.

[Viola]

Thank Tony and Janis. I also think that it is Cr.cancellatus ssp.mazzearicus, the nodule is surrounded by a strong Netzt.
Karl

[Paul T]

Wow, Mark.  That is a beautiful speciosum.

Janis,

That purple heart cartwrightianus and the striped vallicollas are gorgeous, and that wonderfully dark anthered nerimaniae is amazing.  All so very different. Thanks for showing us.

And thanks to everyone else posting their corcus pics.  Beautiful, everyone! 

[Janis Ruksans]

Cleaning desktop found that I didn't posted one picture from earlier days and as today after yesterdays hurricane (roofs and greenhouses are on place) weather is muddy, cloudy and no hope for new pictures I'm posting this one of Crocus kotschyanus Albus. Never before it was so gorgeous as this autumn.
Janis