Crocus in pots February 2010

[I.S.]

C. biflorus alexandri    still just one bulb after several years unfortunately
C. etruscus Rosalind
C. gargaricus herbertii
C. imperati De Jager   
C. vitellinus

Crocus gargaricus herbertii - now its is Crocus herbertii - both (gargaricus and herbertii) has very different corm tunics
Janis

Janis do you mean two subspecieses of C. gargaricus become to one on the name C. herbertii ?

 

[ashley]

Crocus gargaricus herbertii - now its is Crocus herbertii - both (gargaricus and herbertii) has very different corm tunics

Thanks Janis, although the Kew Monocot checklist doesn't (yet?) elevate herbertii to species level

[Thomas Huber]

Ashley, Kew has to change herbertii to species level soon. The latest phylogenetic research showed
gargaricus and herbertii as different species

Your Crocus biflorus ssp alexandrii looks like the old cultivar 'Eyecatcher'

[ashley]

Thanks Thomas.  It seems that in cases like this the Kew database can be slow to catch up, but it also lumps some taxa that most people consider clearly different.

Yes I agree that it does look like 'Eyecatcher'.  Is this a chrysanthus cultivar or a chrysanthus/biflorus hybrid? 
I must check the origins of my plant.

[Thomas Huber]

'Eyecatcher' was sold as chrysanthus cultivar, but to my eyes it is clearly biflorus ssp alexandrii.
Perhaps it was a seedling in a mixed bed, discovered by Willem van Eeden.

[BULBISSIME]

Thomas, can you give a name to this species ?? 

[Janis Ruksans]

Crocus gargaricus herbertii - now its is Crocus herbertii - both (gargaricus and herbertii) has very different corm tunics

Thanks Janis, although the Kew Monocot checklist doesn't (yet?) elevate herbertii to species level

It is quite recent change confirmed by phylogenetic researches. The level change was published may be in The Plantsman, but at present I can't check this.
Earlier it was supposed that difference is only in stoloniferous habit of herbertii, but corms are very different, too. By flower only really indistiguishable, herbertii only a little smaller.
C. herbertii - Corm tunics fibrous reticulated only at apex, corms small, stoloniferous
C. gargaricus - Corm tunics coarsely reticulated throughout, corms larger, without stolones
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

Thanks Thomas.  It seems that in cases like this the Kew database can be slow to catch up, but it also lumps some taxa that most people consider clearly different.

Yes I agree that it does look like 'Eyecatcher'.  Is this a chrysanthus cultivar or a chrysanthus/biflorus hybrid? 
I must check the origins of my plant.

I found that plant offered as var. alexandrii (in eighties by Van Tubergen) was very similar to cv. offered as C. chrysanthus ‘Ladykiller’ and the only difference between them was the blackish anther lobes and the light blue “tongue” on the base of the outer segments in ‘Ladykiller’. I gave preference to ‘Ladykiller’ as it turned out to be a much better grower and quicker increaser (the annual vegetative increasing rate in corm numbers in subsp. alexandrii on average was 2.0 while in ‘Ladykiller’---3.3). At present I have no samples of both in my collection.
Janis

[Thomas Huber]

Nice versicolor, Fred - wish mine would also flower now. In December I found the tipps of some leaves on mine, but
since that time they are covered with snow 

Janis, Ashley's plant is much darker than 'Ladykiller' which has a bluer coloring.
Please compare my photos of 'Eyecatcher' and 'Ladykiller' (which is mostly virused
if you buy plants from trade now) with Ashley's photo reposted below.

[mark smyth]

Eye Catcher definitely cathes the eye

[ashley]

Nice comparison series Thomas
Obviously light conditions are different but the picture of my plant is fairly accurate.  It is extremely dark & seems to have less yellow at the neck than 'Eyecatcher'.
Would another pic help?

[Janis Ruksans]

Nice versicolor, Fred - wish mine would also flower now. In December I found the tipps of some leaves on mine, but
since that time they are covered with snow 

Janis, Ashley's plant is much darker than 'Ladykiller' which has a bluer coloring.
Please compare my photos of 'Eyecatcher' and 'Ladykiller' (which is mostly virused
if you buy plants from trade now) with Ashley's photo reposted below.

Thomas,
Ladykiller - right two plants (front and back) heavy virus infected, Ashleys plant seem that is virused, too.
Ladykiller looks correctly named, Eycatcher a little doubtfull, but could be accepted.
Janis

[Thomas Huber]

Janis, my 'Eyecatcher' is from a famous Dutchman, who received it originally from Willem van Eeden after registrating it in 1971.
Where do you see a virus in Ashley's plant and in my 'Ladykiller' in the foreground

But Ashley pointed out something that I havn't noticed: The yellow throat! Crocus biflorus alexandrii doesn't have any yellow,
so Willem's cultivar seems to be a hybrid with another, yellow throated, biflorus form. In the following photo it can be seen well.
Perhaps, Ashley, you could post a photo of your plant from the inside?

[Maggi Young]

I 've been having a good look at the photos.... Thomas, I think Janis means these flowers from the right hand side of the Ladykiller photo, they do both look a bit odd....



But I cannot see any problem with Ashley's flower.... I think it seems perfectly healthy.... and I love it!

[Janis Ruksans]

I 've been having a good look at the photos.... Thomas, I think Janis means these flowers from the right hand side of the Ladykiller photo, they do both look a bit odd....
(Attachment Link)


But I cannot see any problem with Ashley's flower.... I think it seems perfectly healthy.... and I love it!

Yes, Maggi, just those.
In Ashleys plant see dark stripe in middle plus uneven edge of purple zone
Janis