RARE BULB NURSERY. LATVIA
by Dr. Janis Ruksans & Liga Popova

An outstanding small onion that one can hardly miss in May when travelling through the volcanic plains and foothills of the Northwest USA. The up to 7 cm large heads, with the tepals gracefully curling outward as they taper to sharp points, are on up to 15 cm long scapes. Flowers variably dark red-violet to purplish. In wild on shallow, silty, clay soils among volcanic outcrops, here good grower in standart potting mix.

Numerous white flowers, suffused pink on the mid-vein, in a dense head on a 30 cm tall stem. Early summer. One of the easiest of N American species. The stock originates from Walker Ridge, the North Coast Ranges in California.

Similar to A. campanullatum but with flowers not spreading flat. Numerous narrow tepalled reddish, up-turned blossoms are arranged in open 2.5 - 5 cm heads on 15 - 22 cm scapes. Even dry flowers keep their purple colouring.

Unique Allium species from nude stone-chip hillsides in Kopet-Dag mountains along border between Iran and Turkmenistan. Although hillsides there are so sun baked that reach not-to-touch condition, it is surprisingly tolerant to our cool and wet summers and grow as well as in outside garden as under cover in pots. Seam that this species don't hybridize with other species as seedlings perfectly copy parent plants. It is dwarf, with long curved strap-like foliage. Belongs to my favorites since I collected it for the first time in 1982.

Another my favourite species. It was collected wild in Uzbekistan in 1997 near Rezaksai. Fl. bright light blue. A relative of A. caeruleum but smaller version – only 30-40 cm high. Umbels more lax, flowers of this form are light bright blue with darker mid-vein. Good for pots but if you will plant it outside good drainage is necessary. Excellent for rockery. Good increaser forming few bulbils at basal part of stem and with splitting of main bulb. Forming leaves already in autumn!

Large starry bright violet-purple flowers in a huge, lax umbel 20 - 30 cm in diameter on comparatively short stem. Those are seedlings from plants originally collected by me in Iran on Kopet-Dag mountains in 2008, so the flower colour is something variable. Prefers well drained, sunny position. Excellent!

A beautiful dwarf Allium species from Iran with a big, rounded umbel of large wide open star-like bright and shining reddish lilac-violet flowers formed by narrow pointed petals on a 10-15 cm tall stem between two broad elliptic leaves. One of the most spectacular Iranian alliums of this type.

One of my real favourites between Turkish Alliums which you can’t to misidentify for its very small individual florets (~2mm) which are arranged in large very dense flowerhead of amazing appearance, resembling small pussy-cat. Height can vary from 30-150 cm but my stock from roadside N of Antalya is of medium size – 50-70 cm tall and has pinkish shaded filaments adding especial beauty to this species.

A very beautiful species with a large umbel of reddish purple flowers on a short stem between two wide bluish green leaves, somewhat resembling A. karataviense, but much more spectacular and a better grower here outside. Collected on a stone slip near Chinoro, Varsob gorge, Tajikistan.

Very special form collected by me in Iran (WHIR-032) with very compact stature and even could be named as "dwarf" (especially comparing with its long growing relatives from Uzbekistan). It is so different that I regarded it even as new species, but this was disclaimed by Reinhard Fritsch. In any case it is very good relative of usually grown tall form of this species, suitable for growing in pots as well as in open garden.

This is beautiful hybrid between very tall A. stipitatum and A. nevskianum. It has large and dense umbels on around 50 cm tall stem and shows excellent hybrid vigor being perfect for any garden and usable even for large pots. Increase well by bulb splitting and well keeps its wide impressive leaves.

It is very variable species with flowers in all shades of blue, white and even pinkish. Distributed wild in Turkey, Balkans and replaced with A. apennina in very West of South Europe. Easy growable in any well drained spot, usable in sunny and partly shaded spots in the garden.

This beautiful form of Anemone with very rounded flowers originally was collected in Turkey, 40 km before Ermenek (on left side of road from Anamur, before Halkali vil.) in small valleys between old, partly decomposed limestone rocks. Good grower in garden and real prize-winner in shows of pot plants.

I much liked cultivar offered by Dutch bulb growers as ‘Radar’, with reddish flowers combined with large white eye, but it turned poor grower in our conditions. When E of Akseki I found this beautiful form growing alongside with Crocus concinnus, I immediately collected it and when it turned good grower in garden - named it after my wife Guna (‘Gunite’ is diminutive, lovely form of her name).

Selection from Anemone blanda seedlings with very light bluish flowers, which becomes slightly darker during flowering. Very tender shade, what explains its name.

Driving through Turkish Kurdistan we suddenly spotted on roadside slope inside spiny shrubs this huge Arum with longest spathe ever seen. Being short in time we stopped and tried to collect few tubers - self-sown seedlings, lying not so deep inside those shrubs. They grew well in our collections, bloomed and set seeds and now those seedlings can be offered to other lowers of Aroids.

It is an attractive species which should be very popular once it becomes more readily available. It has up to 20 cm long spathe and total height at blooming time is around half meter. I collected it as seeds in Iran in 2008.

Forms 10 cm umbels of large dark blue-violet, funnel-shaped flowers with ascending lobes. Similar to the ubiquitous Triteleia laxa, but on much shorter scapes. From the northern Sierra Nevada, California, where it grows in red fir forest on vernally moist gravely flats at 1700m. Easy in dry spots of garden, where it blooms at end of June - early July.

This species looks as diminutive version of B. elegans. Deep blue flowers with a whitish tube are composed in beautiful umbels on short stems. In the wild stem sometimes is completely in soil, but not so in cultivation, but it is dwarfest of Brodiaeas in my collection. Need vernally moist soil with good drainage and is excellent pot plant. In wild it is growing on grassy slopes between pine/oak woodland, Santa Lucia Range, California.

Real wild species and not the garden hybrid usually offered under this name. Bunches and bunches of bright pink-purple flowers occur in the middle of the Colchicum season. Offered is true wild form, which is not the largest between colchicums, but will enjoy you with a profusion of flowers in its bunches. It is wonderful, easy-growable and free-flowering species, has nothing common with usually under this name offered hybrids of unknown progeny from Dutch nurseries. Our stock was originally collected on Cilician Taurus during famous BATMAN expedition together with Gothenburg Botanical Garden.

This species was described in 1998 by Chris Brickell. Known from a small area of the Amanus Mountains in S. Turkey. It forms compact clusters of quite large, yet short-stemmed flowers in September with broad overlapping petals lightly chequered in pale pink-violet on whitish ground colour. Excellent grower both - in pots and in garden. Gem of my rockery in autumn.

A spring-flowering species. Flowers pinkish white among narrow leaves. Prefers well-drained, sandy soils and the sun. Bulbs stoloniferous. Slowly spreads by stolons if left undisturbed. Easy in garden and in pots. It is wild form found in Turkey 10 km after Chosab to Baskale on wet very sandy overflowed meadow near water-stream at 2150m altitude.

F-2 generation seedlings from hybrids between Corydalis gorinensis x magadanica. Corydalis gorinensis is one of the rarest and most difficult species in cultivation, known wild only from one cliff in remote Siberian corner, far from civilization, surrounded by unpassable bogs. I lost my single plant of this incredibly beautiful species but it yielded some seeds before disappear. I hoped them will come up true, but they turned hybrids, although very unusual and variable in colour and foliage, and most surprisingly they turned fertile. Both original species were practically lost in my collection from rodent attack and seedlings from them without exception turned OP hybrids and no one true to parents were found between them. Those hybrids turned fertile and so now I'm offering F-2 generation seedlings. They are variable in colour, but vigorous growers and multiply by tuber splitting as well as from seeds.

One of the most unusual Corydalis hybrids with bright reddish pink stem, yellow bracts and very light lilac flowers with dark purple nose. There is nothing similar between species of Corydalis and from where comes this colour combination, remains mystery. Great specialist in this genus Henrik Zetterlund suppose that it is hybrid between Corydalis triternata x tauricola. It was found as self-sawn seedling in Gothenburg and still is extreme rarity of top demand. Only very, very few tubers to offer - so price is so high.

Sorry, all copies are sold!

Six years passed since my monograph "The World of Crocuses" was published. During this time some new conclusions about growing tips came, some more features were used to separate species. And most important 31 new species of crocuses were recognized throughout all Crocus distribution area starting from Portugal and ending in Iran, inclusive the first true yellow late autumn blooming crocus hybrid. Of course several mistakes of main volume were corrected and additions to species descriptions added - colour pictures, distribution maps etc., etc. You can still order it. The price including postage costs is 40,- Eu from this summ 5,- Euro are donated to support Ukrainian army in their fight against fascists of XXI century - Russian putinists. You can order book writing to me also by e-mail: janis.bulb@hawk.lv On front cover - Crocus marandicus, back cover - Crocus harpkeae.

In this part you will find crocus species and cultivars blooming in autumn. On attached picture general view of our autumn crocus collection pictured 30th of September, 2017.

This is a late autum blooming species found in stony places and low scrub across a wide area from western Syria (in the Aleppo region – hence the name) into Jordan, Lebanon and Israel, It blooms from November and although flowers are quite small but they are borne in clusters of several to each corm. The flower colour is generally white, variably marked with a yellow in the throat below a divided orange style and yellow-orange anthers, sometimes with black in connective. On the exterior there is usually some purple striping, especially towards the tube. It needs dry and hot summer conditions, if left all the year round in greenhouse it blooms very abundantly

It is new yet undescribed species similar to Crocus aleppicus but growing only in Israel at very low altitudes not very far from sea. I'm still waiting for its publishing by Oron Peri & Gatersleben team (Harpke & HKEP) and, following their plea, I cancelled my work on this species. For me finding and publishing new species is only hobby, not a paid-job, so for me it is not so important. It grow well with me, but I didn't try it in outside garden.

This species of Crocus speciosus allie was discovered by me in Iran and named after the renowned plantsman Jim Archibald and his wife Jenny, who introduced many new plants from remote countries. Flowers very specially coloured - with 3 stripes along the back of outer flower segments. It is making leaves already in autumn, soon after blooming, but sufficiently hardy also in open garden.

This is a beautiful autumn blooming crocus from C. speciosus group with very large flowers and creamy yellow to deep yellow throat and many branched stigma well over-topping anthers. One of the best "speciosus" from open fields in Armenia near Goris.

At this moment I regard it only as unusual form of C. armeniensis with light creamy anthers and deep yellow throat. It is known only from two initial corms collected somewhere near vil. Vahagni in Armenia. My late friend Zhirair Basmajyan finally found its wild population, but my trip to Armenia was annulled due his tragic death (he was killed by robber in his summer house) and later attempt to visit Armenia - by Covid. So its status still remain under question. I offer it under clonal name given by Zhirair.

Another clone of crocus found by my late friend Zhirair Basmajyan nr. village Vahagni in Armenia. Could be different species but without finding its wild population impossible to judge, so I offer it under clonal name given by Zhirair.

Quite a local species in the wild, limited to the oak-scrub region around Akseki in the western Taurus range, but it has proved to be one of the best of the saffron group in cultivation. Possible outside in a sunny, dry site and an easy, satisfying species under glass. Delicately veined, white to palest lilac flowers with showy, scarlet styles, generously produced in autumn,

A somewhat variable in colour species, flowers soft violet with fantastically branched styles, the outer tepals are twice as long as the inner ones, that’s why among its synonym names one can find even “Crociris”. Multiplied from seeds gathered on white blooming individuals, so occasional white ones can occure in this stock. Prefers light shade and needs some watering in summer when long dry spells occur

Beautiful species from Crocus speciosus group with many-branched style hidden between anthers allowing its easy separation from the other species in this group. It raised my attention as being something special long before it was published as distinct species.

One of the brightest white crocuses with a very branched very bright orange style and large nicely rounded tepals. I’m offering pure white forms with small deep orange throat, which originate from the Taygetos mnt. in Greece.

Another selection from same population from where came striped form with equally large, nicely rounded flowers and with distinctly yellow back of segments especially in buds and start of blooming, but later slowly fades to white. Very limited stock!

The most elegant species from Crocus speciosus group with cool white throat and glistening white flower tube. With the first glance on it you will understand that it is something very special. I named it as Crocus elegans, but according rules of International code, the priority has name given by Ingo Schneider.

Surprisingly, but this crocus from SE Turkey turned the hardiest in cultivation and I grew it for years even in garden. The flowers generally are lilac, but can vary a little, especially in throat colour, which can be pure white or with short, dark, sometimes even brownish stripes in the throat. Our plants are not selected by throat colour. They originally were collected on Topuz pass, at altitude of 1535 m., along road from Urgup to Kaiseri, on stony clay slope, where it grew together with Crocus ancyrensis.

Crocus cancellatus is another group of complicated taxonomy where under this name certainly hides several species. This one was originally collected in then peaceful Syria and regarded as type cancellatus. It is one of the most beautiful forms grown in my collection under common name "cancellatus". Something variable in colour, it always has white striped throat and large something rounded flowers. Still very limited stock.

This stock of Crocus cancellatus laike crocuses comes from near Denizli in Turkey and it could be even new, still unpublished species. I already prepared herbarium of it for possible description later, but never had time for deeper research on its specific morphological features, so I still offer it as Crocus species cf. (aff.) cancellatus.

Quite a variable species with a whitish ground colour densely striped purple sometimes confluent at the tips, with very prominent deep yellow spots at the base of the flower segments. Very beautiful. Corms positioned in the soil vertically. Not difficult and here can be grown even outside.

Flowers white to deep violet with darker violet stripes in the throat or throughout the petal inner surface whilst in the centre sit chrome yellow anthers and a long deep red three-branched stigma. The striking colours are further enhanced by a strong fragrance of saffron. It is one of the very few species whose flowers don’t close at night. Last researches on genetic level confirmed that just Crocus cartwrightianus is the ancient parent of C. sativus.

Excellent selection from Crocus cartwrightianus with pure white flowers, occasionally with dark stripes in throat.

This is a population on Crete which Herbert named as Crocus cartwrightianus var. creticus. In overall appearance it is somewhat similar to C. oreocreticus, but the latter is a high mountainous plant never growing lower than 1000 m, whilst C. cartwrightianus on Crete is distributed around Khania at the western end of the island at altitudes not higher than 300 m. There are several morphological features separating them both, too, and Cretan population of C. cartwrightianus deserves a closer examination as it could belong to another not yet described species. According to E. A. Bowles, “…it flowers so freely in English gardens that it is very attractive on sunny slopes of a rock garden in October and November..."

The stock from which seedlings of two next cultivars were selected by Antoine Hoog. Original stock was collected in Greece, in Southern Evvia near Polipotamos.

A few years ago I obtained from Antoine Hoog two superb forms of this easy growing crocus, selected by him from CEH-613 seedlings. They are both somewhat similar (in size, shape, vigour) and different (in colour), therefore with Antoine’s consent I decided to name them after his charming sons. This one is slightly lilac-shaded whitish with an elegant dark lilac throat.

The second selection from CEH-613 seedlings with lighter-coloured flowers - they are cold white with a light greyish lilac-shaded throat. A very good grower and prolific bloomer.

Robust species, flowering in late autumn from low hills and woodlands bordering the Caspian Sea. Not difficult in a well-drained, loam-based compost, but something tender, so it can be grown here only in an alpine house. I once or twice lost it due to low temperatures but it so well set seeds, that always was successfully recovered from seedlings. The fragrant flowers are slightly variable from pure white (with a yellow throat) to a very soft pinkish-violet. The flowers of C. caspius are made in abundance starting from about November and flowering comes in two waves, with the flowers in the second wave being noticeably more lilac-tinted. Seed is usually set prolifically however the seed pods, unlike almost every other Crocus species, are held below ground even when they are fully ripe.

Crocus clusii belongs to a group of three closely related autumn-blooming species from the western corner of the genus range. B. Mathew regarded them as subspecies of C. serotinus, but morphologically they are sufficiently distinct to be considered as different species. C. clusii replaces C. serotinus to the north of the Lisbon area and in north-west and south-west Spain as far as Cádiz. Although the areas of both species overlap, they can be distinguished by the much more finely netted tunics in C. clusii. It is also leafier and produces 4 to 7 leaves per corm.

This form of Crocus clusii was collected by myself at Ribomondego (Spain) in 2019, so stock still is very small. After several failures I found that it prefer acid soil. During next trip to same place I checked ground pH where it was growing wild and found that it is acid - around 5.0. So for potting of it now I use conifer & rhododendron mix adjusted with coarse sand, to provide good drainage.

This crocus earlier regarded as a subspecies of C. cancellatus has lighter or darker lilac flowers with an indistinct lighter or darker striped throat. My plants come from seedlings originally collected in eastern Turkey and are more vigorous and better growers than the usually offered forms from Jordan. Corms have remarkably coarsely netted tunics. Most likely under this name hides several different species, now under research in Israel and Germany.

This form of Crocus dispathaceus was originally collected during one of the first trips of our team to Turkey between Akseki and Seydishekir at altitude 1300 m. Although growing more to the West by all features it is typical C. dispathaceus. It seem that crocus dispathaceus has very wide distribution area to West even after Mugla and quite far to North (B-2 by Turkish Flora gridlines).

It is another form of less dramatically coloured flowers, but by all important morphological features this one completely agree with deep purple form. The stock was originally collected by Seisums, Archibald and Stevens on Kubbe gec, between Malatya and Puturge at altitude 1900 m. from where C. turcicus is known, but by all features it is typical C. dispathaceus.

It is another form with light coloured flowers growing wild at West border of its area, but by all important morphological features this one completely agree with deep purple form. It is something variable population, in general lightest from all gatherings, but more heavily striped flowers occur between them.

When in 2009 I saw this crocus for the first time in Turkey, my first opinion was that I found new locality for C. mathewii, far from its earlier recognized area. But checking corm tunics it turned that they looks as in C. cancellatus - coarsely reticulated. Minor branching of style and throat colour showed that it looks intermediate between both. Two generations of seedlings without splitting of main features confirmed that really was found new Crocus species which I named by my good friend, Professor of Botany in Istanbul University Osman Erol who much worked on Crocus taxonomy as well as on other Turkish native plants. Very limited stock!

This rare species comes from Gilan province in NW Iran. Flowers are medium sized, white, flushed lilac to light lilac and with slight violet veining. With age becomes darker. A close relative to Crocus autranii and both readily hybridizes although has a different chromosome numbers. Does not like drying out in summer.

Very elegant lavender to pale lilac-blue flowers with a white throat and broadly ovate segments on a long flower tube from the Mani peninsula in the Peloponnesus, Greece. An excellent grower and a very beautiful autumn crocus.

This is the restricted endemic of Malea in southern Greece (the next peninsula along to the east from the more well-known Mani). Flowers appear after leaves show up and its blooming starts at end of September. Flowers are pale, almost white with very light bluish tint on outer segments. Easy in a sunny well-drained spot but here better grows in pots because foliage needs some protection against frost when snow is absent.

Pure white selection of Crocus goulimyi from Mani peninsula with creamy white flowers and something different form of flower.

Crocus hadriaticus mostly has white flowers with distinctly yellow throat. Offered are stocks grown from wild collected seeds, so they are slightly variable in colour of throat and flower tube.

Forms of C. hadriaticus from near Mt. Parnassus is easily identifiable by slightly longer (8-11 mm) white filaments and the white throat. My plants from the slopes of Mt. Parnassus are slightly variable, they mostly have white, even grayish white throat but in some individuals the throat and filaments can be described as creamy; in any case they are not plainly yellow but also not pure white.

This population comes from Parnon Massif in Greece and for some time was regarded even as subsp. parnonicus. It has slightly lilac-shaded flower segments and a white throat. Differences are very subtle, maybe better to regard it only as colour form.

Another seedling raised by Antoine Hoog and undoubtedly of hybrid origin, most possibly with C. cartwrightianus. Its flowers are very light violet with a distinct deep purple throat. This is a gorgeous new introduction of great merit, although blooms somewhat late, therefore better to grow in pots.

This beautiful hybrid selected from open pollinated seeds of C. hadriaticus in my nursery is easy separable by its dark purple flower tube. Seems that it is sterile (I never got seeds from it) although I never tried to handpollinate it and it has very good increasing rate by corm splitting. I decided to name it after my very long time mountain travel partner from Czech Republic Jiri Bydgoscz.

It is not easy to get hold of the true species, quite often under this name are offered various, superficially similar forms of C. suworowianus which sometimes do resemble C. hakkariensis by the shape of the flower segments. But any doubts disappear when the throat is checked for - in C. hakkariensis it is distinctly hairy but nude in its relatives. In cultivation C. hakkariensis requires hot and dry conditions during the summer. Very rare in cultivation. Offered plants were originally collected in Iran, at border with Hakkari Province of Turkey.

Here I'm offering type gathering of this very unusual crocus allied to C. kotschyanus, but with very special shape of flowers and colour, what immediately allows to identify it. It always makes leaves during floweering and at end of blooming they reach around 5 cm in length. Regardless of this - it is hardy and didn't suffered in even snowless winter during almost 20 years of cultivation. Of course - it has different cytology, too, what clearly indicates that it is not C. kotschyanus. Very pretty and unusual!

I have 3 different gatherings of this species, all collected in the same region independently by me, Erick Pasche and J. Person from Gothenburg Botanic Garden. Stock HKEP-9205 originally was collected already in 1992 and has lovely light violet darker striped flowers and +/- confluent large yellow-orange blotches at the base giving an impression of an orange ring in the throat. Leaves start to grow up at end of blooming.

Stock JP-8837 originally was collected already in 1988 by J.Persson from Gothenburg BG in Province of Hatay at Turkish-Syrian border and has lovely light violet, darker striped flowers and two separated yellow-orange blotches at the base of each segment. Those blotches mostly are not confluent or joined only at very base giving heart-like design in throat of flower. Leaves start to grow up at the end of blooming.

I came across Crocus haussknechtii in Iranian Kurdistan, in a few locations E of Sanandaj, on hard clay on open rocky slopes, not exactly on rocks but on moderately sloping spots where more soil had accumulated. In my samples from Iran the flowers are somewhat light lilac, actually nearly whitish, with slightly darker lilac veining though the colour can vary. Generally the ground colour remains whitish but the veining can be quite dark lilac. The style branches are very deep red, widely expanding at the apex. Plants from Jordan soon will have new name.

This is the most westerly occurring representative from large C. speciosus group, growing wild in NW Greece. It has purplish striped cataphylls, similar cataphylls have only two other species from this group - most easterly growing C. zubovii and C. xantholaimos, growing midway between both its relatives.

There are 3 isolated populations of "Crocus speciosus like" crocus growing wild in Greece. Plants from NW population (near Vicos Canyon, Monodendri) I described as Crocus hellenicus. Other 2 populations are growing each in quite small area far to the South - near Nafpaktos and NW from it - S of Monastiraki. After several trips in autumn and spring I found population nr. Nafpaktos but only last autumn got few plants from 3rd population (Monastiraki). The first opinion is that they are identical but quite different from NW population at Monodendri, so I suppose that they could be published as new species, which I intend to name - C. hellenicoides. By first impression it looks quite similar to C. brachyphilus (which I published as C. elegans) from S Turkey, N from Akseki, having same very elegant, light bluish toned flowers with long white flower tube.

Crocus hermoneus by flower is almost indistinguishable from C. cancellatus, sometimes the two grow in mixed populations, so for a correct identification it is necessary to check the corm tunics. In general its flower segments are narrower and more widely open in sun, when flower segments even can bend backwards. Really under this name are hidden several species which soon must be published (may be already are). Here is offered sample which will keep the name "hermoneus". Very limited stock.

Crocus homerii is growing wild on Chios Island and is quite variable - flowers are from pure white to dark striped purple and its anthers are yellow or black - in almost any population you can find plants with both anther colours. My stock was collected in spring, so no special selection by flowers was made, and I didn't separate them during cultivation, so don't ask me for special colours and I can't guarantee that corms which you will receive will have black anthers - such were in average around 30 % of collected corms (~ 60% at locus classicus) and same proportion remain between their seedlings. Legend tells that blind ancient poet Homer (author of Odyssey and Iliad) was born on Chios, so this new species was named after him.

This species belongs to Crocus speciosus group but is easy separable by its white anthers and branched stigma which well overtops anthers. For long it was regarded as C. pulchellus (for its white anthers) although is easy distinguishable from the last. In wild it grows in Turkey in Europe and seems that in adjacent Bulgaria, too. Very limited stock!

It is in fact a diminutive form of Crocus speciosus, with small nicely veined and striped flowers, the main feature for separation is the stigmatic branches that end between tips of anthers and are less branched. That allows proving the correctness of the name. Often under this name are offered various hybrids or seedlings of the Crocus speciosus. Offered stock was collected at its "locus classicus" just before entry in Ilgaz Dag National Park, but outside it!

This beautiful species from the surroundings of Lake Van in E Turkey has a long and rich history and usually under this name is offered a form of C. kotschyanus. The typical plant has a long, branched white to creamy yellow stigma well overtopping the anthers, but it is something variable. Flowers light lilac with darker violet veining with no traces of yellow in the throat. Needs dry summer conditions.

This beautiful crocus has pure white flowers, sometimes only slightly tinged lilac and something resembles C. asumaniae growing quite far from it. Most distinct feature is very long pistil splitting only over tips of anthers. Recently was found that it is quite widely distributed and plants earlier regarded as "C. mathewii without purple in throat" really are C. kofudagensis and there are quite large proportion of light lilac individuals in other populations and such appear between seedlings of my stock as well.

This crocus was originally collected by Helmut Kerndorff and Erich Pasche in SE Turkey, NE of Belen, Hatay province. It looks quite different from typical C. kotschyanus, having many-branched, almost fringed stigmatic branches, but it is not C. hatayensis, because are forming leaves only in spring. In flowers throat it has only two well separated dark yellow blotches on each segment.

This one is very variable stock, collected by our team on mountain steppe over vil. Tepekoy in SE Turkey. It is very good grower and increases by corm splitting only occasionally forming grains at corm base. It belongs to typical C. kotschyanus with diploid chromosome number 2n=8, whilst its relatives from Hatay province has 2n = 10.

This variety has a white style and for this feature it was misnamed as C. karduchorum. The inner base in this form is pure white without any yellow spots. The stigmatic branches are hidden among the anthers. Seedlings split into the typical form and in var. leucopharynx. Rarely offered.

This form isn't identical with var. leucopharynx although it also has white throat. What is correct name for it I don't know, may be it is some hybrid? I got it under name of C. karduchorum from Gothenburg Botanical garden, what it certainly isn't due yellow and little branched stigma and "normal" position of corm in the soil (with axis vertical). Regardless of name it is very beautiful with comparatively smaller flowers than in its relatives from Series Kotschyani.

Beautiful Greek autumn blooming crocus with mostly white basic colour, but very variable. In this stock flower exterior has thin, purple feathering of varying intensity, the whole beautifully contrasting with the frilly mass of expanded style lobes. Anthers pure white. Flowers from late autumn and continues into winter.

This selection from widespread in wild Crocus laevigatus has beautifully lilac toned flowers with dark purple back of flower segments. It has very strong, nice scent in sunny days filling all greenhouse.

This almost pure white population was originally collected by Rick van Bogaert S of Tripolis on Peloponnese, Greece. By flowwer shape it something resembles C.boryi, but by corm shape seem that it is true C. laevigatus. Blooms late and very abundantly.

This species is growing wild near border between France and Italy. It is better known under name C. medius and under this name it still is distributed by Dutch nurseries. Unfortunately all stocks (and such were many) which I got from there turned virus infected. Only not so long ago I finally got healthy plants originally collected in N Italy by German crocus enthusiast. Seedlings of those now I can offer to others. Seem that stocks offered by other nurseries really originate from Dutch growers, what explains their low ptrice.

The flowers are starry, strong violet-purple with a lovely fragrance and a small deep orange throat in the centre surrounded by a diffused whitish zone. The throat colour is quite variable. Its fragrance fills the greenhouse and I list it among the best autumn-blooming crocuses.

Earlier known as subspecies of C. cancellatus this beautiful crocus now is regarded as separate species – so distinct from C. cancellatus it is. Flowers pure white with a contrasting deep yellow throat complemented with a deep orange-red finely divided red style that fills the centre of the flower like flickering flames.

This late autumn blooming crocus is allied to C. pallasii but easy separable by corm tunics and leaves. It was discovered quite long ago but carefully researched and described very recently. It well set seeds but hand pollination is recommended because it blooms late when natural pollinators here are rare. In my nursery last autumn it bloomed throughout November up to Christmas. Very few.

This species is one of the most desirable newcomers of late blooming autumn crocuses with mostly glistening white flowers and a large methylene-violet throat, red entire stigma branches and yellow anthers. There is some variation in the amount of violet, in the shape of the flower segments and sometimes the flower segments are light violet. It grows well in pots but must be kept cooler in summer.

This crocus now became very popular, but I’m very doubtful - is it pure mathewii? Its anthers are white and sterile, seem that never makes pollens, so most likely it is hybrid with some other related species, although by colour looks inseparable from lilac forms of Crocus mathewii. It well increases by corm splitting, but never set seeds with me..

Although Crocus mazziaricus is a well-known and widely distributed species, its taxonomic status, or rather, just to which populations its specific epithet can be applied, is still debatable. Certainly, in such a large region several species might be hiding under the common name “C. mazziaricus”. Plants offered here originally were collected near Langadia on Peloponnese, not very far from the locus classicus (Lefkada Island). There it is growing in mixed populations side by side with spring blooming C. georgei. Both has very similar corms and leaves but different blooming season.

It is another sample of Crocus mazziaricus sensu lato from geographically very isolated populations on Naxos Island in Aegean Sea, Cyclades Island group. Long isolation, great distance allowed development of different citotype, although visually plants looks quite similar to other populations, I'm listing those between the best populations.

The name "mazziaricus" is used for crocuses from very large area - starting from Lefkada Island in W Greece up to Central Turkey. Undoubtedly under this name are hidden at least two or even more species. True mazziaricus is distributed on Pelloponessus, but in dirrection to East it is replaced by other species, still unpublished. At presernt it is not easy to tell where lies border between them. This stock was collected near Thiva and in general has more bluish flowers than plants from Pelloponessus although white ones are not rare, too. There seem to be differences in corm tunics as well.

An autumn-blooming member of the large C. biflorus group from Greece earlier wrongly named as „C. crewei”. Flowers are white marked with small, deeply coloured, almost black, stripes on the outside, rarely stippled grey. The anthers are with a black connective, rarely entirely black, but sometimes yellow. A very distinct and attractive plant with a nice honey scent. This is one of the most attractive forms, originally collected by Brian Mathew already in 1980, when he worked on his monograph.

Quite unusual for late autumn blooming crocuses selection with golden shade in flowers and plain yellowish or striped dark over yellow outside of outer segments. The intensity of yellow depends from temperature and... unfortunately soon fades during blooming to almost white.

One of the best growing forms collected on Peloponnese over city Stemnitsa. Flowers are variable - mostly with striped segment outside, but sometimes between them appear also stippled forms. The same variability shows presence of black in anthers - from slightly and thinly black lined connective to wide, shining black. In any case - good increaser and well set seeds.

One of the best autumn blooming crocuses from Jordan hills. Flowers are large, variable - white with wide violet stripes inside, outside very variable - whitish or yellowish. Blooms late, here usually during December, but well set seeds. Never before offered and very limited stock.

It took many years and repeated careful hand-pollination to rise up virus-clean stock of this very beautiful autumn blooming species. Its native population is heavy virus infected and now almost destroyed by wild boars, completely ploughing up and cleaning from crocus corms the locality where this crocus grew in abundance only some years ago. In nature it was very difficult to find few healthy plants from which my stock developed.

Althought the name means ‘snow-white’, more often in trade are offered forms with slightly bluish flowers. The colour varies from white to light blue and it flowers in October. One of the best autumn crocuses.

Beautiful purest white selection from typically slightly bluish toned populations of Crocus niveus, which more respond to its name - Snowwhite crocus.

Strong, weather resistant ivory white flowers with a ring of golden spots in the throat, growing wild in Lebanon and Israel. I'm offering very abundantly flowering form originally collected in Israel on Golan heights and blooming here in October. It likes full sun and good drainage, although here it better feels if grown in pots of alpine house where it flowers and increases well, making a lot of cormlets. One of the best stocks, far better than usually commercially offered.

This is a very nice crocus, blooming with moderately large flowers that are carried on comparatively long tubes. Quite often the outer segments open wider than the inner ones. It is a good grower in the greenhouse, well multiplies by corm splitting and sets seed readily, although hand pollination is essential for two reasons – firstly, the species blooms here late when natural pollinators for the most part are absent, and secondly, in milder climates it easily hybridises with other species. Not difficult but must be kept somewhat cooler in summer than its relatives.

This is typical, true Crocus pallasii and comes from its locus classicus in Crimea, now occupied by Russia. I succeed to collect this crocus really in the last moment before Russia occupied peninsula. C. pallasii was described just from Crimea, so my plants belong to true, typical species. Flowers are mostly lilac of various shades, rarely white, the throat usually whitish with deep purple stripes. Stigma trilobed, deep red levelling with the anthers. Flower segments in the Crimean plants are generally broader than in those from Turkey, which most likely belongs to another species.

Excellent selection made by my Czech friend Vaclav from plants collected by us inside ruins of Roman city Ariasos with dark bright violet flowers. Could be different species, usually regarded as "pallasii" but true pallasii is not growing in this region. Comparing with most close by growing area C. asumaniae it has atypical flower colour. In same place were collected some plants closely resembling C. kofudagensis as well. So correct name for this one still is unclear, but it is good grower in open garden as well as in pots regardless of applied name..

This sample of Crocus very resembling typical Crocus pallasii from Crimea originally was collected by Henrik Zetterlund near vil. Kumanovo in North Macedonia. Very beautiful and good grower in alpine house but I didn't try it in open garden.

A beautiful autumn-flowering species with slender light lilac-blue flowers nicely lightly marked with parallel violet stripes. In the centre bright yellow anthers and a bright red stigma. My stock comes from near Labranda in SW Turkey where it grows in very stony clay ground. By other travelers it is reported as the best "pallasii" ever seen. Unfortunately its wild population is almost destroyed by repeated attacks of wild boars, that only few plants growing deep in minor rock splits too hard even for boars tooth, escaped this fate. I collected from those few seedpods from which was raised my stock. Certainly it needs own name as a new species. Very limited stock.

This crocus was originally collected as "side product" during searching for so named "nubigena" crocus growing on Samos Island, what resulted in description of new species - Crocus seisumsiana. Offered stock was grown up from few "pallasii like" plants collected by me and from seeds collected on Samos by great my friend Marcus Harvey from Australia, who sent me good handful of seeds, collected there by himself. Certainly it is not type pallasii as it is regarded in last Greek papers. It could be close to Labranda plants as both can hybridize after hand pollination.

This is very beautiful form of crocus which still is regarded as C. pallasii and growing wild in Turkey in Europe. Is it true pallasii or something different? I don't know. There must be done deeper research. I already made for it type herbarium as potentially new species, but hadn't time for more careful checking. Of course DNA checking could clear any doubt about its status.

Beautiful light bluish lilac flowers with deep yellow throat, which provides excellent contrast for the white anthers that, characterize this very rarely offered Turkish species. Our plants comes from several localities E from Antalya up to Mersin in South Turkey. It well set seeds but our stock still is very limited.

One more crocus from large "speciosus" group, described by famous botanist Grossheim from Talish in Aserbaijan but not published according rules of Nomenclature Code, so the name is not officially accepted. Certainly it is not typical speciosus as it is growing on open meadows and looks different, something intermediate with C. archibaldiorum, but in Iran there are several very special forms growing between both species. So further research is required to establish its status.

Crocus pulchellus is very wide-spread through Balkans and W Turkey. It is growing on several Aegean Islands, on continental Greece and in North direction enters also Bulgaria. Each population is something different but not sufficiently to be regarded as different taxa. It is good grower both in garden and potted in greenhouse, blooms later than highland C. speciosus populations and easy separable by its white anthers.

These are wild forms of this beautiful, mid-autumn blooming very hardy crocus from Chios Island (Greece) with nice rounded lilac-blue flowers with a bright yellow throat and white anthers. Tepals with a few darker stripes (veins). Seems that just Chios populations are the most attractive between 26 acquisitions of this species in my collection.

It is diminutive relative of C. laevigatus from Crete. Like all the species that enter winter with well-developed leaves, here it can be grown only under cover where it perfectly blooms usually starting from the end of October (although the earliest record is from 5th October, 2011) and finishing in December. C. pumilus is reported as sufficiently hardy, but here in our long and as a rule harsh winters it can suffer from frosts. It very well sets seed and multiplies by corm division.

Unique crocus from Crete. Before I found this one, was supposed that there are only 2 yellow crocuses which blooms in autumn - C. scharojanii and C. lazicus. This beauty from Crete although is not yellow throughout - inner petals and flowers inside is white, but in buds and half-open they are really yellow. Flowers comes out one after other and last autumn it bloomed around month long. Very few corms only!

This member of the large C. speciosus group has a very distinct genotype and grows quite isolated from others on the Crimean peninsula in Ukraine (at this moment occupied by Russia). By flower it looks quite similar to the type speciosus but blooms generally much earlier. We once had a stock that was already in bloom in the first days of August but it was destroyed by rodents. Flowers are very large.

Assumed to be an autumn-flowering mutation of C. atticus, it has retained the large size of lilac to white flowers and in most cases has a large dark yellow throat, which sometimes is pale or surrounded by a white border like in the well-known spring cv. ‘Tricolor’. There are two, geographically isolated populations of what was once thought to be all Crocus robertianus. it is possible that both represent two distinct although morphological similar species. Offered stock comes from southern population and was collected not far from Varnakovo Monastery. I only recently got material from the type locality of robertianus so further research will be applied.

Another member of large "speciosus" aliance. This species grow in the wild at low altitudes and due its deep yellow throat something resembles highland C. xantholaimos, but contrary to it has distinctly more branched stigma overtopping anthers. At present it is known only from two spots around Sakarya in NW Turkey. As it is typical for autumn species growing at low altitudes, it blooms later than its relatives from high altitudes. Very limited stock.

This sample was collected by myself in Spain between Andujar and Virgen de la Cabeza at altitude 320 m. Taxonomy of Spanish autumn blooming crocuses still is very unclear and last publication from Harpke, Kerndorff & Pasche didn't bring much light in this due absence of key and some contradictory statements. According them true salzmannii is growing in Morocco. This year must be published new research on Spanish crocuses from local botanists (they checked 110 acquisitions of crocuses growing in Pyrenees and opposite side of Mediterranean), so it is possible that name could be changed later. At present I could identify this sample only as C. salzmannii. It prefers acid substrate.

It is unique form at present regarded as stoloniferous form of C. salzmannii. By this it resembles C. nudiflorus but contrary to last develop leaves together with flowers. Recently HKEP published review of "serotinus" group crocuses and they regards as typical salzmannii plants growing in Morocco, but Spanish forms could belong to different species. About this one I agree with them. In nature it growth in peaty pockets, so prefer acid soils, but is quite tolerant in this aspect.

This one sample could be regarded as true C. salzmannii because it was collected in Morocco - the locality where C. salzmannii was observed and characterized by German explorers (HKEP). Only difference - my plants comes from higher altitude and around 300 km to the South from place researched by Kerndorff & Pasche and is something different. This sample has feathered segments outside and is good grower in cultivation.

This stock of C. salzmannii of unknown origin (from Britain) I got under name of "Crocus clusii" from my great friend Zhirair Basmajyan (Armenia) who tragically was killed by some young robber and burnt together with his summerhouse and all collection of harvested bulbs. From the first blooming I put under doubt its name, because it formed long leaves during blooming, although at start was leafless. The identification was re-checked by anthers which in salzmannii is much longer than in true C. clusii. Although corm tunics are not very typical for salzmannii, they lay inside variability for C. salzmannii. As they are clone, I decided to name this stock after my late friend.

This recently published sp0ecies is typical sample of Island endemism and was found by Theo Samaras only on one mountain of Island Kos in SE of Aegean Sea. After flooding of Mediterranean region many thousand years ago, over water left just mountain tops forming isolated islands. On each of them evolution went in something different way and during thousands of years on each develop different species. This one belongs to C. pallasii group and is separable from its allies by position of stigmatic branches according anther tips and by reticulation of corm tunics.

This is famous saffron crocus, source of popular spice used to colour rice, bread and giving them special taste. With me it is growable only in greenhouse because need hot and long summer for flowering. This stock was collected in Greece, at vil. Krokos where is grown saffron and seem to be the best grower with me.

Safron is cultivated in very wide area starting from Atlantic coast up to China. It is not surprise that due some genetic mutations in each region developed something different clones more adjusted to local conditions. This clone was collected by me from small field in Iran during my first visit there and it has more prominent striping of flowers than clone from Greece. This autumn I got also clone cultivated in Holland, but it was destroyed already with start of flowering because turned completely virus infected.

This stock was collected near locus classicus in Georgia (in shade of shrubs near Monastery of Gremi) and represent true, typical form of this species. Cultivars grown under name of speciosus most likely represents other species from this group or are of hybrid origin.

It is garden cultivar selected in Holland with pure white, nicely pointed flower segments. Now it is difficult to find healthy, virus-free stocks of this beauty and my Czech friend who imports bulbs from Holland reported that 20% of received crocus corms were infected with fusarium. This stock I got some 50 years ago from at that time very famous Dutch nursery Van Tubergen which kept highest standards of bulb growing and I succeed to keep it through years healthy and vigorous..

I'm growing very few Crocus cultivars raised by other growers and this one belongs to those. It has the most striped flower segments what explains its name. I got it several years ago from Lithuanian grower and from the first blooming it "fall in my heart".

During our expedition to Iran in 2016 we found several autumn blooming crocus populations with annulate corms belonging to Crocus speciosus group. They were growing on various mountain ridges along all coast of Caspian Sea. When they bloomed in cultivation - turned that some populations are very different. Two already got their names - CC. archibaldiorum and zubovii, others still are under research. This one was found growing on open spots at locality from where just recently Fessia gilanica was described. It is so special, that certainly needs proper name. At this place also Erythronium caucasicum and Crocus caspius were reported.

Another one sample of Crocus speciosus like crocuses from Iran, collected during expedition of 2016, but this one was collected in forest, growing in shade of trees, by way down from high altitude mountain meadows where we searched for Crocus gilanicus.

Very late but abundantly blooming species nova from Crocus speciosus group in Iran from low altitudes. Pretty flowers, but due late blooming here better feels under cover in alpine house.

In Turkey Crocus speciosus like crocuses are growing along all coast of Black sea and from there several crocus species belonging to this group were described, but several populations were found also in Central Turkey and up to almost Mediterranian coast. At present as separate species was published Crocus brachyphilus (found by Osman Erol and earlier published by me as C. elegans, but due Code of Botanical Nomenclature, name given by Osman and me goes into synonyms). This sample something resembles C. ilgazensis but is growing far from known its localities in Central Turkey, S of Pinarbasi.

This one I found together with my late friend Zhirair Basmajyan in forest near Ijevan Monastery in Armenia. Its flower colour can be variable depending from season (temperature?) from purest white (in wild and rarely in cultivation) to very slightly bluish shaded in most autumns, what ads to it special beauty.

This beautiful crocus was discovered in NE Turkey and published by Kerndorff and Pasche in 2013. At same locality I collected few corms of this species already earlier, but... So priority belongs to them. Now it increased with me and few corms can be offered for other crocus lovers.

This is one of the first crocuses to start flowering after the summer rest. Similar to C. vallicola but without the conspicuous wispy tips of the perianth segments. Usually flowers are white, more or less lilac striped, especially in the throat, but between them can occur some lilac toned individuals. Corm lies on its side and needs dryer growing conditions.

This form of C. suworowianus has lilac flowers, but otherwise it is not much different from the typical C. suworowianus. Some specimens gravitate towards C. kotschyanus but their tepals are narrower and the corm lies on its side.

The flower colour varies from light lilac to deep lilac with an invariably lighter or darker yellow throat that sometimes is orange or greenish yellow in the fairest forms. Needs dry and hot summers.

Large, widely opening soft lavender flowers with glistening white anthers and much-divided orange stigmas. One of the only three autumnal crocuses that does not close its flowers in poor light or cold weather, they stay open even at night. It is distributed on Greek Islands and each island’s population has something different from neighbours.

Another form of Crocus tournefortii with large, widely opening soft lavender flowers with glistening white anthers and much-divided orange stigmas. Flowers stay open even at night. Although in average similar to populations from other Greek islands, this one has different throat design, which is very specific on each of observed islands.

Earlier regarded as a subsp. of C. pallasii and distinguished from the type by a long persistent „neck” of old leaf bases. The flowers are lovely light violet marked and feathered with darker lines, darker in the throat, flower segments generally narrower than in C. pallasii but wider than in C. dispathaceus. This stock comes from Kubbe gecidi in Malatya Province of Turkey

An excellent early autumn-flowering crocus with large creamy white flowers, segments have peculiar acuminate tips. Prefers peaty soil and does not like drying out in summer. From Artvin, NE Turkey.

A species endemic to the Mediterranean island of Cyprus where it is growing in scrub on stony or grassy places. It is flowering here in late Autumn (from November) and during early Winter when it makes its cheery, star-shaped flowers. Flowers are small to medium-sized, white with some purple veining or lining on outer petals. The throat is bright yellow. Sometimes anthers are lined blackish along connective. Very limited stock.

A quite recently described autumn-blooming member of the C. biflorus group with very nice lilac flowers that open widely exposing beautiful black anthers with yellow basal lobes and dark red stigmatic branches resembling those of C. sativus. Very unusual and of exceptional beauty. Still very rare in cultivation and seriously endangered in the wild. Our stock is carefully multiplied by seeds from the original type collection.

This beautiful crocus was originally described by B. Mathew in his Monograph as subspecies of C. speciosus but according to new approach to Crocus taxonomy now must be regarded as species. Stock was collected by me just on its locus classicus. Flowers are comparatively smaller with deep yellow throat and many-branched stigma hided deep between anthers. It is blooming very long time and sometimes here winter starts when still last flowers not wilted and they are going under snow.

This crocus species is the most easterly growing representative from C. speciosus group. It is easy separable from another Iranian species of same group - C. archibaldiorum by position of stigma and from most other relatives by usually purple striped upper cataphyll. Flowers are attractive, violet, beautifully veined in a darker shade of the same colour. All of the six, quite evenly-sized, petals are veined with pale yellow inner base, and are set around yellow anthers which in turn ring around an orange-yellow, trifid style which is further sub-divided just at its tips. The style usually exceeds the length of the anthers. The purple-striped upper cataphyll is not always that obvious and additionally, it does vary substantially according to the age of the flower.

Following is our current offer of crocus species and cultivars blooming in spring. On attached picture you can see our collection pictured in polytunnel last year at 1st of April but usually under cover crocuses blooms much earlier.

A very beautiful large-flowering, extremely variable in colour population from Armenia, in any case far better than other forms offered under this name. It is the true adamii, different from usual commercial stocks, with large blue or violet, tinted or striped darker flowers.

Practically unknown in cultivation crocus earlier wrongly regarded as Turkish form of C. adamii up to finding, that it has completely different genotype and belongs to new, unknown before species allied neither to biflorus or adamii, but closer to C. danfordiae and some other typically Turkish crocus species. Very beautiful and variable in colour. I don't know any other offer of it before me. Very few!

A very rare spring-flowering species with light lilac flowers and a distinct white throat. Style divides into three bright orange-red branches. Has some resemblance with C. biflorus, but corm tunics are not annulate at the base.

This species belongs to my greatest favourites among spring-blooming crocuses. Flowers bright blue with a bright yellow inner base surrounded by radial white rays. An exceptional beauty from high mountains of NE Turkey. Very limited stock originally collected on Zigana Pass.

White flowers uniquely patterned with speckles and dots in silver to ash-grey on the exterior. On the inside the shining white contrasts with the bright yellow throat. Requires a well drained soil in full sun.

Pink and true red colour is not known in crocuses. How and why happens this mutation on mountains of Kirghizia making most unique crocus in the world, remains great mystery. At present in total in the world exist only 7 corms - two of them are grown in Japan, other five by me. So I decided to offer just ONE CORM only to the first customer who will be ready to pay its real price.

C. alexandri from the biflorus group is easily to identify because at present there are known only two species with a white throat. The other is C. weldenii, but its leaves have 1 or 2 prominent ribs in the lateral channels. In the garden C. alexandri is an easy grower and according to E. A. Bowles, they “make splendid garden plants, flowering rather late”. My plants comes from Mt. Falakro in Makedonia (Greece).

On Mount Falakro side by side are growing Crocus alexandri and Crocus chrysanthus. They normally didn't hybridize, but nature likes jokes, and at one open meadow, where both species are growing together, with great surprise I found one individual, clearly showing presence of yellow in generally blue coloured flowers. It turned sterile - not producing seeds and this is the way how normally nature eliminate such abnormalities. I collected it and it turned quite good increaser by splitting, so now I can offer few corms to other growers.

Early and the most free-flowering species from Turkey with numerous deep orange flowers, far better than the usually grown Dutch form of garden origin. When in Gatersleben Institute of Plant genetics were researched group of Crocus reticulata allies, they asked me for samples of related C. ancyrensis and I sent them representatives from all acquisitions collected under this name during my Turkish expeditions. Checking cytology of those samples, in Gatersleben Institute was discovered that under this name are hidden at least 5 genetically different species which superficially are quite similar by morphological features but growing in wild quite distantly and isolated one from other. Unfortunately they didn't go deeper and not continued this work. So I'm still growing them under common name Crocus ancyrensis only adding citotype numbers from I to V.

"Cytotype I" originally was collected 30 km from Beypazari along road to Bolu, 2 km before Ahlatlik gec. at altitude of 1590 m. This cytotype is cross-able with Crocus abantensis and the hybrid was named by HKEP as Crocus x paulineae (see further)

This sample comes from Yagdonduran gec.where it is growing on grassy W faced slopes with clearings on heavy clay and it belongs to cytotype II, which can hybridize with other species.

This sample comes from Topuz pass, right side of road Urgup – Kaiseri, where it is growing on stony clay slope at alt. 1120 m

Although superficially quite similar, cytological researches partly based on samples from my collection, showed that under this name are covered at least 5 different species. Offered here "Cytotype IV" originally was collected on Tavsan Dag, at alt. 1560 m as LST-124.

The 5th citotype was collected in Turkey, 4 km after Kartal gec. at altitude of 1340 m, where it was growing on stony slope between Juniperus sp.

Incredibly vigorous and floriferous occasional hybrid of Crocus ancyrensis selected by Lithuanian bulb grower Eugenius Dambrauskas. Very bright, abundantly blooming and good increaser by splitting, it is sterile, confirming hybrid origin. Pollen parent is unknown. Better growing in open garden or pots must be brought out from greenhouse when high summer temperatures comes.

Flowers rich Indian-yellow to orange with a deep lustrous purple striping and feathering on petal backs. Taller and more vigorous than the old Dutch forms of this species. From near Oreanda (Krestovaja Gora), Crimea (R-8306) originally collected by me already in 1983.

The plants grown in horticulture as Crocus antalyensis have been separated off by me as a new species - Crocus antalyensioides. The new species has a distribution within Turkey which is much more to the north of the range of what is now regarded as proper C. antalyensis. C. antalyensioides is certainly easier and hardier in cultivation as well as being more robust in growth with larger flowers which may explain its recent, wider spread in cultivation. In nature I found only its blue forms with rare albinos occuring between seedlings. What exactly is yellow forms - I don't know. May be it is wider variation of colour in nature, may be they rised in cultivation and really are hybrids with closely related C. mouradii because such appeared in seed-raised stock of the blue form of Crocus antalyensioides which in turn was raised from a stock originally produced by Willem van Eeden in the Netherlands. The yellow forms vary from strong deep yellow, like flavus, to paler primrose forms. Requires deep planting, I'm using 20 cm deep pots, placing corms at depth of 10-15 cm, then they forms large corms and abundantly blooms. Shallower planted are good increasers, but forms smaller corms which produce less flowers.

As you can suggest from its name this crocus is growing wild around Antalya in S Turkey. Its flowers are lighter or darker blue, sometimes violet shaded. It needs deep pots as in nature corms are positioned very deep in ground and to ensure good growing and blooming, you must copy natural conditions. Usually under this name is offered Crocus antalyensioides growing wild very far to North from Antalya.

Crocus athous turned out to be similar to C. atticus in its coarsely reticulated corm tunics that though end abruptly and do not form the prolonged neck so characteristic of C. atticus. The throat in C. athous is very variable – white, slightly tinted yellow only at the edge, to yellow with a wide white edge. It is an easy crocus that can tolerate summer moisture and partial shade and can be grown in the open garden, too, just like its relatives do. In cultivation it makes large corms and increases by splitting and well sets seed. It has very small area of distribution limited with south end of Athos peninsula (Ortodoxal churches monk state) with very restricted possibilities to enter (not allowed for woman at all) and is extremely rare both in wild and in cultivation.

This one belongs to one of the best species in the C. biflorus group. Flowers are lighter or darker blue with a bright orange throat, rarely with black anthers. As the name implies the dry seeds of this species are black.

A very abundantly blooming crocus from Greece forming large rounded lilac flowers with a deep yellow throat. Very tolerant to winter conditions here and a good grower even outside where it excellently increases. Stock was collected just near Athens, and has nothing common with stocks offered under this name by Dutch nurseries.

It has been known quite well and is being grown in several collections for some time already but then it was regarded as a white form of C. punctatus. When looking more closely the differences are easily seen. The anthers in C. punctatus always have black basal lobes, never seen in C. babadagensis, and their tips are never greyish-tinted.

C. balansae is easily recognizable and separable from its close relative C. olivieri by its much-branched style that is divided into 12 to 15 branches. During flowering it requires lots of water as in the wild it sometimes grows in spots that get flooded in early spring, but summers there are hot and dry. It is not commercial form but originating from Samos Island in E Aegean Sea, where it is growing together with C. seisumsiana and some autumn blooming crocuses.

A most exciting species with pale but brilliant turquoise blue flowers with delicate slightly darker veins. I don’t know of any other crocus species with a similar colour. Rare in cultivation but not very difficult, can be grown outside even here; in summer pots must be brought outside. A very limited stock.

Crocus bertiscensis was recently described from N Albania. I'm growing very similar to it sample collected not very far in neighboring Kosovo. The main difference is in habitat - typical Crocus bertiscensis is plant of alpine meadows whilst Kosovo sample is growing into Fagus forest and has wider leaves, what is quite typical for more shaded populations, so I can offer it here only as "similar to Crocus bertiscensis ". Alternative name at present could be " cf. veluchensis". Both - typical bertiscensis and Kosovo plants are grown by me in something acid substrate (pH below 6) and they are growing very well both in pots and earlier as well they felt on open field. It is very possible that name could be changed later to new one, when will be published researches performed by local botanists.

This species is distributed within a large area in continental Italy from Verona southwards and in the northern part of Sicily where it grows in dry grassy places between shrubs or light pinewoods on limestone formations. In this form from surroundings of Basilicata in S Italy flowers are generally lighter or darker lilac.

This crocus of exceptional beauty was found by our team between Darica and Elbistan. Bright colour, black in anthers, dark shaded throat something resembles crocuses from W coast of Turkey but is growing far to the East. I simply hadn't time to explore it more deeply, but I hope to publish it coming spring. Of course it is variable, as all wild species.

This crocus was collected by me on Ahmediye gec. It looks something intermediate between C.sivasensis published by HKEP and mine C. sakaltutanensis. A. Guner regards both those as synonymous, but long distance between localities put this conclusion something under doubt. Regardless of name it is very beautiful addition to collection, never before offered.

This very special crocus was originally collected during KPPZ expedition to Turkey in 1990, when it was found growing on Karadag mountains, N of Karaman. Most likely it is a new, still unrecognised species, but this will need deeper checking. In any case it is very good grower and excellent addition to any collection.

This beautiful wild hybrid originally was collected by Erich Pasche 11 km W of Seydişehir, Konya provonce, It is good grower but never produced seeds with me, that confirms its hybrid origin. Of course parentage is not correctly noted as C. biflorus is not growing in Turkey and presence of true chrysanthus in Turkey is very doubtfull. Closest neighbors are C. concinnus and C. gembosii, but distance between their area and Seydişehir is quite large. Occasionally large corms produce semi-double flowers.

This very good wild hybrid between two at this time unknown species from C. biflorus and C. chrysanthus groups was originally found by Erich Pasche already in 1982. Erich send me few corms of it, here it turned very good grower and increaser by corm splitting, so I decided to offer it for other growers, too. It is sterile, I never got seeds, but this is compensated by very good growing capacity.

C. bowlesianus is very colourful (especially the forms with black anthers) and it has proved to be a very good grower, regularly producing seed and increasing well by corm division. My stock is still quite small, so I plant it only in pots.

When I found this crocus on Bozdag Daģlari, I registered its gathering as new distant locality for C. thirkeanus (better known as C. herbertii), but in cultivation it turned so different, that was worth of proper name. It has even smaller corms, different pattern of corm tunic's reticulation and distinctly slender flower segments but the same stoloniferous habit. Publishing it I unintentionally entered research field of other botanists. Now this crocus group is under research in Gatersleben and by Osman Erol (Turkey) and I suppose that soon Crocus gargaricus from Gok Tepe N of Mugla in SW Turkey also will receive proper name.

This nice tiny crocus is close relative to Crocus danfordiae sensu latissimo. In last time from tjhis group were separated several distinct species having own distribution area not overlapping with others. C. brickellii is easy recognizable by length and position of stigmatic branches which well overlap tips of anthers whilst in its relatives they rarely slightly exceeds middle of anthers. I named it after my first correspondent from UK - famous botanist, garden book author Chris Brickell.

Working on crocus gatherings up to last grown under name of "Crocus danfordiae" I found that under this name are hidden several species. HKEP already separated from this group Crocus minutus having white stigma. Another distantly growing group with white stigma had different leaf morphology. Large distance between areas designed for C. minutus by HKEP and crocuses found by me and botanists from Gothenburg BG (J. Persson) supported opinion that it is new species which I named after mine very long-time travel partner, chief gardener of Pardubice (Czech Republic) Jiri Bydzowsky,

C. caelestis is nice blue flowering crocus which near Uşak grows together with C. uschakensis in mixed populations but no hybrids have been observed there. I grow Crocus caelestis only in pots because in its native habitat summers are very hot and dry, therefore the pots stay in the greenhouse all the time. It well sets seed and increases by splitting. I have two stocks of it - type gathering I got from Erich Pasche, and later another sample was collected for me by my Turkish correspondent Ibrahim Sozen. Both are practically identical.

Even a brief look on this species allows immediate identification of it: on the channelled upper surface there is a wide white mid-vein, while the underside is rounded with several shallow longitudinal grooves. Flowers are variable - white to blue, sometimes with darker outer midvein, but the most important is its growing conditions. After finding it in wild and checking pH (soil acidity) in situ it turned very acid, so I changed growing media to rhododendron and conifer mix adding good ammount of coarse sand to improve drainage.

This species was for the first time found in 2018 but officially published only in 2022 when more detailed researches were done in region W of Lake Urmiye in Iran. Its name is derived from the Kurdish (Kurmanji) word ‘çîya’ (‘chiai’) meaning ‘a mountain’, ‘mountainous’ as it is growing at altitudes over 2000 m together with many other bulbous plants - at least 9 different species were observed on the same spot.

Starting deeper observing of Crocus danfordiae group, I found that Anatolian diagonal divides all populations earlier regarded as C. danfordiae into two morphologically different groups. Populations distributed in East direction from Anatolian diagonal belongs to typical C. danfordiae sensu G. Maw, who described this crocus. Those growing to West from this line deserves own name. Few already were published (C. minutus by HKEP, C. brickellii by me). Colour of stigma allowed to separate C. bydzowskyanus, but others I decided to name after Paul Christian who is supplying plant enthusiasts with many unusual and rare bulbs and other plants. This population has yellow flowers.

Type gathering of Crocus christianii was collected at NE side of Beyshekir Lake and has yellow flowers, but there are many populations where yellow and white flowering plants are growing side by side with white ones and populations where only white blooming plants exist. In this entry are proposed just white blooming representatives of C. christianii.

Earlier was supposed that Crocus chrysanthus belongs to species with one of the widest distribution area which starts in Balkans (where is locus classicus for it) and stretches almost to East of Turkey - all with annulate corm tunics and basically yellow flower colour. Really true C. chrysanthus is growing only in Balkans (and even there it is represented by several different species). Turkish populations represent several other species. I was very surprised when found that A. Guner in his "Illustrated Flora of Turkey" (not yet published) merged all Turkish "C. chrysanthus sensu latissimo" as one species regardless of significant differences between them. Now those crocuses are under researches performed by Balkan botanists and other botanists from Turkey. Knowing this I stopped my observations on them for not to destroy their job. I'm only amateur and for me it is not so important. Below I'm offering several acquisitions still regarded as C. chrysanthus sensu lato, but morphologically sufficiently different. Note the position of stigma which in typical chrysanthus from Europe mostly well surpasses anthers or less often is level with their tips. Those from Turkey grown under this name belongs to several other species and in general their stigmas ends below tips of anthers.

This one is from most Northern population of this species in my collection - Konjavska Planina in Bulgaria

Crocus chrysanthus is one of the best-known and most popular crocuses with gardeners. Its bright yellow flowers shine in the garden from afar. Some of C. chrysanthus s.l. forms are widely used in breeding and there have been raised many lovely cultivars. Offered form was collected at Greek Macedonia and belongs to true chrysanthus. Offered form is one of the best growers both in garden and in pots.

On Falakro mountain in Greece are growing at least 3 beautiful crocuses - Crocus orphei, Crocus alexandrii and some of Crocus chrysanthus group - so different by some features from other Greek "chrysanthus" that could be worth of own name, but this still need more deep research on more material.

This one comes from Turkey, is very good grower and abundant bloomer. Many individuals has brown striped or suffused outside but they are not selected and separated by me. Of course, really it is not C. chrysanthus (growing wild only in Balkans) and need proper name. Better to label it as Crocus cf. chrysanthus, Gevne Beli, Turkey.

It is general opinion that in Greece are growing only one yellow blooming crocus species with annulate tunics - Crocus chrysanthus although several populations can be quite different, so we keep them under names of locality where stock was collected. This one was collected on Grammos mountains when our team searched for Crocus gramensis.

This sample comes from Mount Ossa (not the village of same name on Vertisko ridge) and originally was collected by David Stephens, UK.

This stock comes from Greece. I collected few corms when was looking for Crocus veluchensis sensu lato and drived from one mountain ridge to another.

On Mt.Parnassos are growing several very special crocuses, between them also this form of C. chrysanthus with brownish-lilac flower tube in most of observed plants.

Searching for Crocus simavensis we observed large fields of C. chrysanthus in full bloom. Few were collected and I offer those for the first time here. By the way - we found C. simavensis but very far from supposed locus classicus where we searched for it following description given by HKEP.

This population was found between Fašikan and Belpinar mountain passes near Taskent in Central Turkey. It was late evening and in my notes are written - very variable population, with differently coloured segments outside.

This population from W Turkey (Road Tavšanli to Inegol, soon after Tunģbilek) was growing at altitude of 740 m on sides of cultivated field. It was remarkable by almost invariably black basal lobes of anthers, not so often seen in Turkey. It was growing in mixed populations with Crocus olivieri.

Crocus concinnus is distributed wild around Akseki and further to NW direction. How far - still is not clear just where it is replaced by C. mawii, because both are very similar. Each population is something different by general flower view, so they are kept separately. It is very good grower, excellent pot plant and in garden as well.