Crocus trip to Crete from 20 -27 november 2011

[krisderaeymaeker]

Again a lot of populations of Crocus laevigatus on the peninsular ...

[krisderaeymaeker]

Because we could not find Crocus cartwrightianus on Rhodopou  we drive to the other peninsular ....

Maybe we where even are to early for cartwrightianus on Rhodopou ? Maybe Melvyn could confirm ? Or some other friends could ?
Maybe it was stil to dry during our visit to Rhodopou and cartwrightianus was stil underground ?
The pictures showing earlier where from locations higher up and this plants gets more moisture  at that time ....
Any other observations are welcome .

[krisderaeymaeker]

Again on Akrotiri peninsular we did not find any sign of Crocus cartwrightianus ....
On the other hand we could report some nice findings of Ranunculus bullatus  there....

So I decide to drive to the first area again to investigate the area more detailed on Crocus cartwrightianus ....Crocus oreocreticus And as usual  Ingrid - my better part -did find some interesting cartwrightianus .....oreocrteicus One of them is nearly a white one ..... Is this a white oreocreticus  ?

[I.S.]

And the second Crocus we find : Crocus cartwrightianus . In the morning the flowers are stil closed .

Kris, this is another sign that they are not cartwrightianus!
you say that they were closed in the morning. So C. cartwrightianus  flowers shouldn't be closed in the night!
Regards....
ibrahim.

[krisderaeymaeker]

Kris, this is another sign that they are not cartwrightianus!
you say that they were closed in the morning. So C. cartwrightianus  flowers shouldn't be closed in the night!
Regards....
ibrahim.

Thanks for your comments Ibrahim . It seems that oreocreticus is not confined to the east and middle of the island then.
Maybe the only  difference is then the height where they grow ? Cartwrightianus as lowland specie and oreocreticus higher up ?

[krisderaeymaeker]

There are many gorges on Crete . And it is always good to spend some time there .

Some other nice species grow there like Origanum dictamnus .
They grow in rocks and crevices .

On the ground we found this Mandragora officinarum in flower .

[krisderaeymaeker]

We also find this yellow Senecio but I was looking for another yellow thing ...
Wich we find too ....one of my favorite autumnbulbs ...Sternbergia sicula .
This was a good form to ...

[krisderaeymaeker]

In this area we also find this fantastic Crocus wich I identify as Crocus laevigatus. But it has big flowers and and some other caracteristics that maybe belong to tournefortii ...But they told me that tournefortii grows in the east of Crete ?

The end of the day we also find this georgeous little thing .....Again laevigatus with some yellow in the outside .

[tonyg]

I think you are right that it is Crocus laevigatus.  Some look a bit like Crocus boryi but the outer colourings strongly suggest Crocus laevigatus so most likely all are that..  In my collection I have grown many different forms of Crocus laevigatis, it is very variable in flower size.  The largest maybe three or four times bigger than the smallest!

[I.S.]

  Kris,
A lovely sicula and C. leavigatus.
These pale forms of C. leavigatus looks like C. boryi but the shape of flower are tippiccul C. leavigstus.
I am enjoying lots with photos from wild

[Hans A.]

Kris, thanks for this superb pictures of your trip!

[krisderaeymaeker]

I think you are right that it is Crocus laevigatus.  Some look a bit like Crocus boryi but the outer colourings strongly suggest Crocus laevigatus so most likely all are that..  In my collection I have grown many different forms of Crocus laevigatis, it is very variable in flower size.  The largest maybe three or four times bigger than the smallest!

Thanks Tony . That's what I tought to , but  I am not a specialist ....Only an (over)enthousiastic plants lover....  We have seen Crocus boryi , he comes later on ....
I was surprised on the variation we see in laevigatus populations . Most of them where small in Crete but in some occasions they produce much bigger flowers.  You are right , there is no need to neglect them .Because of this variation it's a good plant for the Crocus collector . 

[krisderaeymaeker]

  Kris,
A lovely sicula and C. leavigatus.
These pale forms of C. leavigatus looks like C. boryi but the shape of flower are tippiccul C. leavigstus.
I am enjoying lots with photos from wild

Thanks Ibrahim.Good to have some confirmations. 
It is written many times on this forum....it is sometimes not easy to recognize the difference  between laevigatus , boryi and tournefortii. And this is even more difficult on a picture . We did see boryi only in the southeast I think .....but these pictures are following  next days ...

[krisderaeymaeker]

Kris, thanks for this superb pictures of your trip!

Thanks for your compliment Hans . Happy I could share them  with al this bulblovers ....

[pehe]

Kris, what a trip - lots of fabulous flowers in the wild!
And you are a master in story telling - you keep us waiting in anticipation for the next part

Poul