Latin Name of Garden Escapee spring crocus?

[KeenTeen17]

I was just wondering what the latin name is of the garden escapee spring crocus that flowers in the spring. I have been told that it is cyclamen hederifolia but that is the latin name of ivy leaved sowbread, which is flowering now! Could anyone tell me for the sake of my records?

[poschiavanus]

Common one which is purple or white is Crocus vernus. The yellow ones which are frequently naturalised or long-lasting are C. flavus. There is also C. tommasinianus which has a wide range of colours mostly lilac to purple.

Here's the key from the electronic version of Stace:

Key to the species of Crocus:
1a. Flowers appearing in autumn (September-December), often without leaves,
never predominantly yellow............................................ .................................................. 2.
1b. Flowers appearing in spring (January-April), usually with leaves, often predomi-
nantly yellow............................................ .................................................. ..................... 7.
2a. Anthers white to cream-coloured.......................................... ............................................. 3.
2b. Anthers yellow............................................ .................................................. ................... 4.
3a. Throat of corolla uniformly deep yellow; filaments densely pubescent; style with
many yellow or orange main branches.......................................... .......... Crocus pulchellus.
3b. Throat of corolla whitish with yellow blotches; filaments glabrous to minutely
pubescent; style with 3 cream to yellow main branches......................... Crocus kotschyanus.
4a. Style with 3 main branches; throat of corolla uniformly yellow.
.................................................. .................................................. ...... Crocus longiflorus.
4b. Style with many main branches; throat of corolla whitish to pale yellow............................... 5.
5a. Corm with covering splitting into rings at base, not becoming fibrous; perianth
conspicuously darker-veined outside........................................... ............. Crocus speciosus.
5b. Corm with covering becoming fibrous, not splitting into rings at base; perianth
usually not darker-veined outside........................................... .......................................... 6.
6a. Leaves developing well after flowering, 3-4 per shoot, 2-4mm wide; throat of
corolla white to pale purple............................................ ......................... Crocus nudiflorus.
6b. Leaves emerging during flowering, 5-7 per shoot, 0.5-2mm wide; throat of
corolla white to pale yellow............................................ ........................... Crocus serotinus.
7a. Perianth predominantly pale to deep yellow, sometimes tinged or striped dark
purple............................................ .................................................. ............................... 8.
7b. Perianth predominantly white or pale mauve to dark purple, sometimes yellow
on throat............................................ .................................................. ......................... 10.
8a. Corm with covering splitting horizontally into rings at base, scarcely vertically
and not becoming fibrous or reticulated; ground colour of flowers creamy-white
to yellow............................................ ................................................ Crocus chrysanthus.
8b. Corm with covering splitting vertically, not horizontally, becoming fibrous or
reticulated; ground colour of flowers yellow to deep yellow............................................ ...... 9.
9a. Perianth-lobes uniformly bright yellow; leaves 0.5-1mm wide..................... Crocus ancyrensis.
9b. Perianth-lobes suffused or striped purplish-brown on outside, or if uniformly
yellow then leaves 1-4mm wide .................................................. ........... Crocus stellaris(x).
10a. Throat of corolla yellow; spathe absent; bracts 2, white............................................. ........ 11.
10b. Throat of corolla white to mauve or purple; spathe 1, papery; bract 1, white....................... 13.
11a. Corm with covering splitting vertically, not horizontally, becoming fibrous and
reticulated; corolla not darker-veined or -striped on outside.
.................................................. .................................................. .............. Crocus sieberi.
11b. Corm with covering splitting horizontally into rings at base, scarcely vertically
and not becoming fibrous or reticulated; corolla usually darker-veined or
-striped on outside (Crocus biflorus)......................................... ..................................... 12.
12a. Perianth whitish on inside, with strong dark purple lines on outside.
.................................................. ................................................. Crocus biflorus biflorus.
12b. Perianth pale lilac, often with a few dark purple stripes outside.
.................................................. .................................................. . Crocus biflorus adamii.
13a. Leaves mostly 2-3mm wide; flowers mauve to pale purple with white
perianth-tube.............................................. ................................... Crocus tommasinianus.
13b. Leaves mostly 4-8mm wide; flowers white to deep purple, often with dark stripes
outside; perianth-tube usually mauve to purple, white only if rest of perianth is
white (Crocus vernus)........................................... .................................................. ...... 14.
14a. Style usually equalling or exceeding stamens; tepal-lobes (2.5)3-5.5 x 0.9-2cm,
usually coloured, sometimes white............................................. ........ Crocus vernus vernus.
14b. Style usually distinctly shorter than stamens; tepal-lobes 1.5-3.5(5) x 0.4-1.2cm,
very often white............................................. ............................. Crocus vernus albiflorus.

Also on-line here: ETI On-line Flora of NW Europe.

Cheers,

poschiavanus

[KeenTeen17]

SORRY! I typed in crocus by mistake I meant cyclamen.

[poschiavanus]

C. coum or C. repandum. Differ in flower size. Look them up on the link just posted! I wondered why you had Cyclamen hederifolia.

Still it gives everyone a chance to confuse themselves in the spring with Crocuses.

[leifus]

Originally Posted by KeenTeen17

SORRY! I typed in crocus by mistake I meant cyclamen.

cyclamen, crocus...same thing

[Paul mabbott]

I am getting totally confused now! There is a C. hederifolium which I believe is not hardy in UK?
Cyclamen hederifolium
What the heck is ivy-leaved sowbread - one of those things made up for publication?

[poschiavanus]

Ivy-leaved Sowbread is obviously a back translation. As for not hardy, I can think of one in the garden, and 3 or 4, not 200 metres away (probably planted, but perhaps not), all of which are not touched from year to year.

Extensively naturalised under trees in some big gardens, e.g., Bodnant, where I saw it last year. Stace has known in east Kent since 1778. BSBI distribution here.

English name is indeed a mess. Stace has Sowbread, BSBI have Cyclamen. Best stick to scientific name.

[ceterach]

Several species of European Cyclamen species including C.hederifolium and C.coum are hardy in Britain (unless we have an Arctic winter!). Their main enemy is summer wet since their natural habitat is around Mediterranean.

In Britain they have greatly increased as garden discards although there has been an earlier thread about their spread by ants.

All the best

[KeenTeen17]

I have come to the conclusion that the one I just found is c . heferifolium


and the one from spring is c. repandum

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by KeenTeen17

I have come to the conclusion that the one I just found is c . heferifolium


and the one from spring is c. repandum

Any photo of the spring Cyclamen featuring the leaves?