Campanula ident please!

[JohnnyD]

Does anyone recognise this wonderful campanula?
It grows to four feet with us and produces spikes of huge blooms with this distinct colouring.
John

[Maggi Young]

photo of the leaves, Johnny?    It's what you'll be asked for!!

[fermi de Sousa]

?C. versicolor?

[tonyg]

Here is an image of C versicolor which was my first thought too.  The flowers are distictively flat, open bells.  My impression of the mystery plant is that it has differently shaped flowers.

http://www.thealpinegarden.com/Campanula_versicolor.htm

[JohnnyD]

Attached are two more pics which may help - including foliage as you suggested Maggi!
John

[Maggi Young]

Thanks, Johnny, good pix.... certainly do not think C. versicolor... bud shape, flower shape, leaves different..... still not got a name for you though!!

[Diane Clement]

Thanks, Johnny, good pix.... certainly do not think C. versicolor... bud shape, flower shape, leaves different..... still not got a name for you though!!    

What about C latifolia - there's a white cultivar it could be

[Maggi Young]

White latifolia I have seen is pure white, without that lovely blackcurrant throat .....these flowers are  quite wide, too... something new, perhaps

[JohnnyD]

Well, so far no luck!
But what about the copious seed which the plant set?
How to describe it for seed list purposes?
Help!
John

[shelagh]

Johnny I think what you are looking for is sp.

[Diane Clement]

How to describe it for seed list purposes? 

Hi John, sp is OK, but better to add some info about height and colour.  Not many people request sp of anything but add some descriptor and it then entices people to request it!
Diane (with AGS seed list compiler hat on  )

[JohnnyD]

Thanks Diane, I will do just as you suggest.
J.

[Paul T]

Can I suggest working out some sort of species affinity for it?  For example as it resembles latifolia perhaps Campanula aff. latifolia?  I'm just thinking of quarantine requirements for some of our countries...... if something is a "sp." it won't get into Australia at least.  If latifolia is allowed (I haven't checked) then I would be assuming that aff latifolia should get through fine.  Just seems a shame to cut those with more serious quarantine restrictions out.  As long as you describe it clearly to colour, and mention that it is similar to latifolia but not quite right, the description should still satisfy people as to what it will be like.

To me it looks wonderful, I just love the colour.  Great stuff!!

[SueG]

Hi John
I've been thinking hard about this and I wonder if it might be Campanula latifolis var macrantha??
Sue

[JohnnyD]

I think we may have had AGS seed of latifolia some years ago and this could be the source of the new plant, which certainly seems like C.latifolia alba, although the flower, with its three distinct white striations, looks more like C. lactiflora alba.
Until something better comes up it seems to make sense to follow Dianes suggestion and describe its habit etc., calling it C.latifolia with an var. name - say JohnnyD!!!
That way it may meet Pauls suggestion for avoiding the 'quarantine mafia' without telling fibs.
J.

p.s. If anyone would care to send me their address I would be happy to send some of the seed just harvested.
johnedower@aol.com