Crocus minimus id verification
Jane McGary (Tue, 29 Jan 2013 13:38:24 PST)
Jim McKenney wrote,
The Crocus minimus you [i.e. Gastil] show is the same plant I have
received from two or three sources as Crocus 'Spring Beauty' or C.
issauricus 'Spring Beauty'. If more of us kept images of the corms
in circulation and people took the time to learn their crocus
tunics, this would be a lot less likely to happen.
I don't think Gastil's photos show C. biflorus ssp. isauricus (note
spelling), because the style of C. biflorus is generally more deep
orange than light orange, and it is more deeply divided than what
appears in the photos. Also, corms of C. biflorus have a different
type of tunic, called "annulate," that is, splitting crosswise near
the base into rings of tissue.
Jane McGary
Portland, Oregon, USA