Crocus image - question for Arnold NJ
Jane McGary (Tue, 01 Apr 2003 18:23:36 PST)

Arnold wrote,

In Brian Mathew's Crocus he describes Crocus thomasii as follows:

"Flowers autumnal, fragrant 1-2(-3), pale to deep lilac, generally not
strongly veined darker but sometimes veined or stained towards the base
of the segments with violet; throat pale yellow, pubescent. Prophyll
present. Bract and bracteole very unequal, white, membranous with long
tapered tips. Perianth tube 3-6(-8) cm long: segments 2-4.5 cm long,
0.7-1.5 cm wide, elliptical, obovate or oblanceolate, acute or obtuse.

Filaments 5-8 mm long, usually pale yellow, glabrous or finely pubescent
at the base: anthers 9-13 mm long, yellow. Style divided at a variable
point, usually ranging from just below or level with the base of the
anthers to about a quarter of the way up the anthers, into 3 bright red
branches, each 0.7-2 cm long, half or less than half the length of the
perianth segments, expanded gradually to the apex."

Maybe Jane can discuss the source of her bulbs.

The source of my bulbs (obtained as bulbs, not seed, in the early 1990s)
was Potterton and Martin, a well-known UK bulb merchant. They are very well
regarded but not infallible. I'll examine the plants in extreme detail next
fall when they flower if someone is questioning the identification; I have
assumed they were correct based on general appearance, time of flowering,
and characteristics of the corm.

I didn't get a look at the photo that is causing the questions. However,
you can see from the description Arnold has quoted that the superficial
appearance of the flower is variable, as is the case in many Crocus species.

Jane McGary