Crocus "zonatus"
Jane McGary (Mon, 01 Sep 2003 08:49:59 PDT)
Judy Glattstein wrote,
There I was at a nursery in Connecticut last Saturday. They had four open
boxes with Crocus ochroleucus, C. sativus, C. zonatus (isn't the clone that
is generally available one that multiplies freely and does not flower?)
Crocus zonatus is an invalid name for C. kotschyanus (WHY do the Dutch keep
using names, like Cyclamen neapolitanum, that have been invalidated decades
ago?), and as Judy says, the commercial form is notorious for flowering
poorly (though it will bloom if dried off severely in summer and grown very
lean). However, there are at least three clones of C. kotschyanus and
plenty of wild forms that do flower; the most widely available is called
'Reliant', and an even better one is one from Janis Ruksans under a JRJK
collection number. The C. kotschyanus ssp. cappadocicus that I gew from the
Archibalds' seed also blooms well.
Jane McGary
Northwestern Oregon, USA