Spring Narcissus 2014

[Rafa]

Gerd, Could it be this triandrus the variety that gows in Pontevedra coast, called var. capax or var. loiseleuri? I've seen this large corona in this variety. Do you have data collection? I think this large corona could be an adaptation to portect the sexual organs from salt winds.

[JPB]

Narcissus rupicola, El Espinar, Segovia, Spain
Narcissus varduliensis, Laguna de Losa, Navarra, Spain

Both grown from wild seed collected by Rafa

[annew]

I spent most of yesterday afternoon trying to decide the subspecies of N. triandrus that I have growing in pots, before I take them to a show tomorrow. The only conclusion I could come to was that there seems to be so much variation that  I can't tell! Rafa, can you help us with what to look for?

[Gerdk]

Gerd, Could it be this triandrus the variety that gows in Pontevedra coast, called var. capax or var. loiseleuri? I've seen this large corona in this variety. Do you have data collection? I think this large corona could be an adaptation to portect the sexual organs from salt winds.

Rafa, you know your own collections very well. This plant comes from Pontevedra indeed and it is an RDD collection.
Sorry, I mixed it with another triandrus from an Austrian friend.
Your notes concerning the large corona are very interesting. It is stated that specimen from the Iles de Glenan (which receive salt wind for sure) have a similar appearence.

Gerd

[Rafa]

Anne do you have any picture?

If it is white, think in a Iberian northern plant (subsp. triandrus, var. loiseleuri, var. alejandrei)
If it is naple yellow, think in subsp. pallidulus
If it is a pure yellow plant think in subsp. lusitanicus or even subsp. pallidulus concolor form.

The species that I know better is subsp. pallidulus. I hasn't a big variability. It is possible to find 1 to 8 flowers per scape, most of them have 1, 2 or 3 floweres. Color is also very uniform, pale naples yellow, but you can can also find pure yellow forms (not to be confused with subsp. lusitanicus) It has 1 or 2 leaves per bulb, brown papyraceous tunics... You can also find longistyla plants and brevistyla plants, with or not exerted stamen. This character is interesting..., It must have an important role in natural hybridisation process, longistyla plants, no need so precise insect adaptations to make a cross, even the wind can transport the pollen from other species. But brevistyla plants need an insect adapted to enter in the flower.

[Rafa]

Gerd, I tried many times to get any material from Iles de Glenan, but it seems impossible. I am sure it is the same species, and I am sure this locality is subexpontaneous. The seeds arrived there probably in the legs of migratory birds. Ganymedes secction has its geographical origin (like most of Narcissi) in Península Iberica, this locality in Iles de Glenan has't any logic except for animals or anthropic activities.

[Rafa]

Narcissus rupicola, El Espinar, Segovia, Spain
Narcissus varduliensis, Laguna de Losa, Navarra, Spain

Both grown from wild seed collected by Rafa

Look at this N. varduliensis!, well done!. Be careful with this species, not many people accepted it, it is usually assimilates to Narcissus pallidiflorus Pugsley. To me it's  quite different from N. pallidiflorus, but is not clear at all the validity of this taxon, because many localities described as N. varduliensis are in fact N. pallidiflorus. The only differences that I find is that N. varduliensis is bicolor and it has a marshy ecology, and N. pallidiflorus is totally pale yellow and it has a Fagus forest ecology.

[ashley]

It is stated that specimen from the Iles de Glenan (which receive salt wind for sure) have a similar appearence.

That’s what I thought too, e.g. see here.

Gerd, I tried many times to get any material from Iles de Glenan, but it seems impossible. I am sure it is the same species, and I am sure this locality is subexpontaneous. The seeds arrived there probably in the legs of migratory birds. Ganymedes secction has its geographical origin (like most of Narcissi) in Península Iberica, this locality in Iles de Glenan has't any logic except for animals or anthropic activities.

Lusitanian species in the Irish flora (sadly no Narcissus among them) pose a biogeographical puzzle.  As far as I know their persistence through the last Ice Age is now in doubt; rather, molecular and other evidence supports post-glacial colonisation, perhaps from (or via) a refugium within the present Bay of Biscay when sea levels were lower.  Iberian species (incl. N. triandrus capax?) might therefore have reached Brittany even without the help of migratory birds or human interference.  Surely someone has done a molecular comparison of the Brittany & Galician N. triandrus populations?

In the meantime, this paper shows the distribution and photos of some of Rafa's collections from NW Iberia

[ashley]

Narcissus moleroi     first flower from a sowing in Aug 08; 10 cm
N. 'W.P. Milner'     (x2) 30 cm
Narcissus moschatus     (x2) 35-40 cm

[ashley]

Narcissus alpestris forms from Castejón de Sos & Cerler, 20-22 cm; a kind gift from a forumist

[johnralphcarpenter]

Narcissus 'Colleen Bawn'

[Anthony Darby]

These white narcissi are lovely. 

[johnralphcarpenter]

I understand it is described as a "swan neck" cultivar.

[Gerdk]

Giants and dwarfs in bulbocodium species

Here are some Narcissus bulbocodium in  different shape

from left to right

Urbasa/Navarra, Landes form near Bordeaux, a dwarf form from Rafa

Gerd

[Gerdk]

Here are

Narcissus gaditanus (very difficult to get flowers) and N. rupicola

Gerd