Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum

Bulbs => NARCISSUS => Topic started by: Anthony Darby on July 06, 2015, 05:12:36 AM

Title: Narcissus July 2015
Post by: Anthony Darby on July 06, 2015, 05:12:36 AM
Narcissus cantabricus from  Vegas de Matute, in Segovia, Spain. Seed sown 2011.
Title: Re: Narcissus July 2015
Post by: Lesley Cox on July 06, 2015, 10:24:52 PM
That's a really nice one Anthony, with good thick texture so won't mind the snow you are supposed to get this week. ;D ;D ;D

Did you send me some seed perhaps 3 or 4 years ago, coming from Rafa or did he himself send it I wonder, or even, perhaps, Fermi, of Narc. bulbocodium ssp nivalis? I ask because it is in bud almost open, now, a good two months ahead of my original ssp. nivalis and very low and cute-looking, a good deep gold colour. I should be able to get a picture within a few days. The buds are right at soil level whereas on my other, the stems grow to about 8cms. If it stays as is now, it will be a perfect candidate for a trough.
Title: Re: Narcissus July 2015
Post by: Anthony Darby on July 07, 2015, 12:40:31 AM
I don't have any nivalis, so it must have been someone else. I have a pot labelled graellsii with buds just visible.
Title: Re: Narcissus July 2015
Post by: fermi de Sousa on July 07, 2015, 08:31:45 AM
Hi Lesley,
I think Rafa did send me seed of N. nivalis (and a few others) which was to be distributed to you and a couple of other Daffanatics ;D
I managed to end up taking most of my seedling N. nivalis bulbs with me to Europe in 2013 by mistake! I realised I wouldn't be able to bring them home so a kind gardener in Ireland  ;) has grown them on to flowering size and is sending seed back to me this year!
That really is a case of "what goes 'round, comes 'round"! ;D
cheers
fermi
Title: Re: Narcissus July 2015
Post by: Anthony Darby on July 07, 2015, 09:01:44 AM
Brilliant Fermi.  8)
Title: Re: Narcissus July 2015
Post by: Anthony Darby on July 24, 2015, 10:42:44 AM
Ooo! I have a flower bud on my Narcissus blancoi.  8)
Title: Re: Narcissus July 2015
Post by: Matt T on July 24, 2015, 11:46:50 AM
Nice one! Look forward to seeing that when it's open!
Title: Re: Narcissus July 2015
Post by: David Nicholson on July 24, 2015, 12:04:43 PM
I know that Narcissus are a pretty mixed up bunch in taxonomy terms but I had not seen N. blancoi before. I checked out the RHS paper "Botanical Names in the Genus Narcissus" where it is shown as N. cantabricus ssp luteolens but the Plant List lists it as synonymous  with N. albicans. Can anyone clarify please?
Title: Re: Narcissus July 2015
Post by: Lesley Cox on July 24, 2015, 12:23:54 PM
Not me David. :) It's a bit of a problem for us down under because what were "ordinary" names of Narcissus have sometimes now been replaced with new species names which aren't on our Bio Index so if we can get seed we also have to go scrabbling around to find out what it used to be or also is called, and provide the references. A pain but what's new?

I'm chuffed today to find a tiny daffodil in waiting in one of my old wash tub troughs. In fact, it was Roger who found it - most unusual that! It usually has to be the size of an oak tree before he sees it. Anyway, it is a yellowing bud flanked by two leaves and only 2cms high, of the true, the genuine N. asturiensis and is from seed which came from Brian Duncan, a gift from the true, the genuine Maggi, so precious for every reason. Photo in a few days.
Title: Re: Narcissus July 2015
Post by: Anthony Darby on July 24, 2015, 10:54:25 PM
I know that Narcissus are a pretty mixed up bunch in taxonomy terms but I had not seen N. blancoi before. I checked out the RHS paper "Botanical Names in the Genus Narcissus" where it is shown as N. cantabricus ssp luteolens but the Plant List lists it as synonymous  with N. albicans. Can anyone clarify please?
Another website puts it as a variety of hedraeanthus! ;D
Title: Re: Narcissus July 2015
Post by: Mini-daffs on July 25, 2015, 02:01:55 AM
 ;D
The season has been quite cold this year. Much better for reading indoors than being out in the cold. I would have thought it would have slowed down flowering but that has not been the case. Quite a few miniatures are now in full bloom along with a small number of intermediates and quite a few tazettas that are quite old cultivars. As is normally the case there are quite a few bulbocodiums in flower, including some giant ones.
The range of cyclamineus hybrids and diploid intermediates means that there are some excellent hybridising opportunities. However, the offspring will also be very very early flowering so of little value as most people like later flowering daffodils.
The photos for this post show a number of trumpet miniatures. The intermediate Cedric is from Glenbrook Bulb Farm and has petals and petal overlap to die for. The only issue is that the petals are not at right angles to the trumpet but this can be fixed by crossing with miniature cyclamineus hybrids with some reflex. The white-yellow miniature is also an excellent little flower but it could do with some more petal coverage so it needs to be crossed with the Cedric hybrid.
Title: Re: Narcissus July 2015
Post by: Mini-daffs on July 25, 2015, 02:08:11 AM
 ;D
A follow on from the previous post. The miniature 1W-Y looks to have a pink tinge to it. We do a lot of breeding for pinks so having a pink tinge is not unexpected.
N. minimus is a selection of N. asturiensis that does not inflex as much. It is very miniature but the stem is taller than some of our N. asturiensis.
Title: Re: Narcissus July 2015
Post by: Mini-daffs on July 25, 2015, 02:17:34 AM
 ;D
There are some cyclamineus hybrids flowering at the moment including a top quality miniature 6W-Y. I have included a photo that shows that it opens white yellow and fades to white. Of the miniature 6Y-Y's the best is the dry hybrid as it does not have curved petals like the wet hybrid. However, the wet one has a nice vase shaped trumpet.
Title: Re: Narcissus July 2015
Post by: Mini-daffs on July 25, 2015, 02:31:05 AM
 ;D
Hi
As may be expected we have quite a few  bulbocodiums flowering.
Title: Re: Narcissus July 2015
Post by: Mini-daffs on July 25, 2015, 02:36:54 AM
 ;D
A few more bulbocodiums that are flowering.
In relation to taxonomy, I have only just got used to having N. cordubensis. It is quite distinct from N. fernandesii as Rafa points out.
Title: Re: Narcissus July 2015
Post by: Maggi Young on July 25, 2015, 11:24:49 AM
The Scottish Rock Garden Club Web Team is pleased to announce that a feature to allow automatic resizing of photographs loaded to the SRGC Forum has been added. This will remove the need for forumists to resize photos before posting.

We hope this will encourage posting from those who found resizing difficult or time-consuming.

Many thanks to Fred C. our wonderful Forum Admin for this facility
.
Title: Re: Narcissus July 2015
Post by: Mini-daffs on July 25, 2015, 02:20:30 PM
 :o
Maggie
Does that mean I can send you my 24 megapixel photos and that they will be automatically downsized for the forum? I suspect the cost of uploading them would mean I should still downsize them a bit.
Title: Re: Narcissus July 2015
Post by: Maggi Young on July 25, 2015, 02:35:08 PM
My word,  I've known perfect photos for print work being much less than that size, Graham!

My technical knowledge is not  so extensive to know that - I cannot imagine anyone tying to send such files for web use in any context. I reckon that the time involved to send such enormous  files would be   a real strain on your broadband apart from anything else.
 A batch resize of your files for web use would probably be a good idea - but you will  not need to be so exact as previously.
Title: Re: Narcissus July 2015
Post by: Mini-daffs on July 25, 2015, 03:02:53 PM
 ;D
Maggie
We have both the broadband capability and the computers to handle large images but I do edit and downsize to small images to send them. I usually do two edits to get them so I can post them so it will save me some time. I get bounced when I insert a larger image. We upgraded our camera equipment to professional grade last year so the high quality shots start out life as 24 megapixels. Even our travel cameras are 16 megapixels.
Title: Re: Narcissus July 2015
Post by: fermi de Sousa on July 28, 2015, 09:15:38 AM

As may be expected we have quite a few  bulbocodiums flowering.
Hi Graham,
here are a couple of hoops in our garden which appear to be self-sown seedlings of some of Rod Barwick's clan!
cheers
fermi
Title: Re: Narcissus July 2015
Post by: Maggi Young on July 28, 2015, 11:10:41 AM
Matt Bishop  (better known for his Galanthus  obsession!  ;D )  has got a new set of plants on offer - and  includes some Narcissus!!
 Learn more here : http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=12022.msg338009#msg338009 (http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=12022.msg338009#msg338009)
Title: Re: Narcissus July 2015
Post by: Mini-daffs on July 28, 2015, 01:00:57 PM
 ;D
Hi Fermi
We have quite a few GBF Joy Bishop seedlings out at the moment. We have feral bulbocodiums out at the moment. The biggest feral issue is the feral cyclamen in the shade house.
We have one of our N. romieuxii selections flowering at the moment. A superb petunioid form that I have selected out. I have put the pollen onto some largish bulbocodium hybrids in the hope of getting giant petunioid bulbocodiums.
Title: Re: Narcissus July 2015
Post by: Mini-daffs on July 30, 2015, 11:06:04 AM
 ;D
 Hi
Maggie, new downsizing system didn't like the size of our photos so I have done another manual downsize.
Some photos of some pot and rock garden miniatures although some in the size photos are clearly exhibition quality flowers.

Title: Re: Narcissus July 2015
Post by: fermi de Sousa on July 30, 2015, 03:22:37 PM
Hi Graham,
They look great and so early :o
Hope you'll still have some mini-daffs in flower for the National Championships in Leongatha in September!
cheers
fermi
Title: Re: Narcissus July 2015
Post by: Mini-daffs on July 31, 2015, 12:06:53 PM
 ;D
Hi
A few splits.
Title: Re: Narcissus July 2015
Post by: Mini-daffs on July 31, 2015, 12:11:54 PM
 ;D
Hi
Some miniature cyclamineus hybrids.
Title: Re: Narcissus July 2015
Post by: Mini-daffs on July 31, 2015, 12:15:49 PM
 ;D
Hi
Some species.
Title: Re: Narcissus July 2015
Post by: Mini-daffs on July 31, 2015, 12:19:00 PM
 ;D
Hi
Species and bulbocodiums.
Title: Re: Narcissus July 2015
Post by: Mini-daffs on July 31, 2015, 12:22:30 PM
 ;D
Hi
A few more photos
Title: Re: Narcissus July 2015
Post by: Mini-daffs on July 31, 2015, 12:59:22 PM
 :-[
Hi
Fermi, somehow I have missed the fact that the National Show is on in Leongatha (I suspect I am not on the mailing lists - we are a bit reclusive and we are not particularly well known in Victoria) but the problem is that it is on the same day as the Canberra Show. Graeme Davis or Lawrence Trevanion may do Leongatha in preference to the Canberra Show or have someone else do their Canberra entries.
We have quite a few flowers out but they are a drop in the ocean overall. There will be not shortage of show blooms for mid-September unless we have high winds, hail, heavy rain or the one that really does damage - hot winds from central Australia.
Because they are so early I tend to use them for hybridising so the numbers of our early flowering bulbs has increased quite dramatically over time. Because they are too early for the shows there is not a lot of demand for them so we don't sell them.
I can save daffodils in the refrigerator for up to 6 weeks but 4 weeks is more the norm. I may look at refrigerating some flowers but that will be to allow me to move later flowering times forward not showing.
Title: Re: Narcissus July 2015
Post by: Lesley Cox on July 31, 2015, 10:52:07 PM
Ahhhh..... so the Monster mini-splitter is back! Sorry Graham, you know by now that splits aren't for me though I have to say they are much more attractive in the tinies than in the walloping great fence posts we see at the daff shows.

Other than those, you have some lovely things there. When I have a super seedling as I occasionally do, I tend to pet it and lay down to worship but you have so many it makes my accidental treasures seem pretty ordinary really.

Thanks goodness spring is on the way even if not in the air yet, here anyway.
Title: Re: Narcissus July 2015
Post by: annew on August 01, 2015, 09:28:51 AM
Great to see the daff season in full swing already!
Title: Re: Narcissus July 2015
Post by: Mini-daffs on August 01, 2015, 12:17:38 PM
 ;D
Hi
Lesley, split miniatures and doubles are a fairly common goal for miniature hybridisers these days. There are a lot about that are infertile but the split of ours is fertile so I am hopeful that we will do some good hybridising with it. We have flowered a couple of good ones already but there is a lot of work remaining.
The question of what constitutes a super seedling in our case is usually the one that opens perfectly first up. We have flowered some really nice early seedlings but the two new ones that I really like are attached. The first is a superb exhibition quality miniature that will be able to be used for breeding more miniatures with perianths that are the equivalent of standard sized daffodils. The third one makes the list because it opens all white. It will help us to new range of miniature white cyclamineus hybrids.
Anne, the number flowering will increase dramatically over the next couple of weeks. What I have posted is really late winter flowering daffodils rather than spring and our current conditions are certainly cold. However, it is even colder where Fermi is. Tomorrow it will be 10 degrees in Melbourne while we have a subtropical 15 degrees!!
Title: Re: Narcissus July 2015
Post by: annew on August 01, 2015, 07:49:53 PM
Strange, we had the same here last week!
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