Ident of Phyteuma please

[paulg]

Recently I've been referring to this plant as P. balbisii but looking back through my photo database I used to call the same plant P. schuchzeri. I've Google'd both varieties and I can't seem to find what the differences are between the two. Can anyone tell me which type this is or what to look for on the plant. Overall height is around 12" (30cm)
Thanks
Paul

[Maggi Young]

I think it is Phyteuma scheuchzeri -  the flowers are similar in various species but the foliage varies quite a bit.
http://luirig.altervista.org/photos-search/index.php?title=Phyteuma+scheuchzeri

It seems P. balbisii is not an accepted name- P. cordatum is  preferred and  P. cordatum Balbis is different again :
http://luirig.altervista.org/photos-search/index.php?title=Phyteuma+cordatum  http://luirig.altervista.org/pics/display.php?pos=165738   ( Balbis)

[paulg]

Thanks Maggi for the reply,
yes, as you say perhaps P. schuchzeri is the correct name although looking at the photos in the link you provided some of the leaves look very "grass" like - longer and more narrow than on my plant.
I notice some seed companies offer P. balbisii - notably Chilterns, and I'm now wondering if that is where I bought my seed from, perhaps as a 2nd batch, the 1st one being P. schuchzeri.
Anyway it looks as though I have a bit of renaming to do on both my internet photos and on my local database.
Paul