Colchicum 2012

[fermi de Sousa]

Colchicum stevenii this morning.

Another new one to me!
Very nice, Oron; is it local?
cheers
fermi

[Oron Peri]

Thanks guys,

Fermi,
Colchicum stevenii is the most common colchicum in the region, it blooms often in astonishing numbers just days after the first rain.
It is most variable in size, color and shape of the petals.

[Paul T]

Oron,

Like Fermi, that is a new one to me as well.  Great strong colour to it.  Beautiful.

[DaveM]

Colchicum lusitanicum from the Ronda area in Andalucia, taken a couple of weeks ago.

[pehe]

Colchicum cupani
Colchicum troodi ex. Taurus, Turkey

Poul

[mark smyth]

Does anyone know much about Merendera 'Norman Barratt'? It's flowering now. Sadly only one of the bulbs is flowering sized.

Does anyone know when Colchicum ilyricus flowers? Mine are still underground.

[Maggi Young]

Does anyone know when Colchicum ilyricus flowers? Mine are still underground.

Colchicum illyricum flowers from August,  I think. A synonym of  Colchicum fasciculare according to the Kew Plant list.

[mark smyth]

I only had to knock off the grit top dressing to see what was happing in the pot. Roots were under the grit with several noses showing. The full name of my bulbs is Colchicum illyricum Drakes form.

Who was Drake?

[Otto Fauser]

Dave , here is a picture of C. lusitanum (grown from Gothenberg Bot G. seed ) in my garden - it seems to vary in the amount of tesselation and width of segments .

[DaveM]

Nice Colchicum, Otto, quite distinct in the way the segments are overlapping. C. lusitanicum is quite widespread in Iberia and northern Italy. Unfortunately, the population I saw was only just coming into flower and there were only half a dozen or so in flower. Even here though the amount of tessellation varied somewhat. Good natural variation I'd say.

[Hans A.]

Fine plants all!

Here Colchicum cupanii f. alba and Colchicum cousturieri - latter is a much shorter plant.

[Oron Peri]

C. tuviae, a tiny semi desert species starts to bloom now.
Curiously it has female and male flowers.

[krisderaeymaeker]

C. tuviae, a tiny semi desert species starts to bloom now.
Curiously it has female and male flowers.

Tiny but beautiful thing Oron . A question about the female and male flowers :  does this happens with more Colchicums ? 

[Oron Peri]

Thanks Kris,
We have noticed similar behavior with C. stevenii and C. tunicatum, both species often produce only male flowers before finishing their blooming time, [meaning the last flowers of the season]
We haven't found an explanation for this phenomenon.

My theory is that when the plant has enough flowers which have been pollinated, in order to save energy, particularly in the desert, it ensures that no more pollination might occur, and to do so  it doesn't develop the style.

[krisderaeymaeker]

Thanks Kris,
We have noticed similar behavior with C. stevenii and C. tunicatum, both species often produce only male flowers before finishing their blooming time, [meaning the last flowers of the season]
We haven't found an explanation for this phenomenon.
My theory is that when the plant has enough flowers which have been pollinated, in order to save energy, particularly in the desert, it ensures that no more pollination might occur, and to do so  it doesn't develop the style.

Thanks Oron , very very interesting to know and your theory make sense to me. Smart decission of this Coclcicum then ..
In this case I would think that this behaviour not occurs in cultivation , especially in our parts of the world ?