Winter Narcissus - to early 2012

[ashley]

I asked Rafa about this last year, and to quote him (again hoping that he doesn't mind):

"Well, Asturiensis group it was quite difficult group, but it is definitively closed for many of us. What I support are the following species.
- Narcissus asturiensis (Galicia, Asturias, Portugal, Castilla León)
- Narcissus jacetanus (Navarra, País Vasco)
- Narcissus muñozii-garmendiae (endemic from Ciudad Real)
- Narcissus salmanticensis (endemic from Salamanca)
The key to recognize them, apart geographical distribution is the perianth tube form and the filament insertions in the tube.

Narcissus lagoi is not valid, is a Narcissus asturiensis.
Narcissus minor, is the same, it was described in a greenhouse, and probably a garden selection...  The correct name is N. asturiensis.

In addition, some time ago, I discover a relictic population that I labeled as N. asturiensis var. villarvildensis: I was wrong!. This variety are tetraploid N. asturiensis, bigger than the others, it is probably N. salmanticensis (it is the bigger one, like a N. confusus).

That I discovered is in fact Narcissus stenanthus (Lange) F. Casas. I was described not far from my location and Lange mentioned in his herbarium sheet a probably hybrid species between N. confusus Pugsley  and N. nivalis Graells, but without any other explanation. It could remember in some parts N. nivalis due the close angle of perianth tube but is not an hybrid. This hybrid not exists in any part of Guadarrama Mountain Range and I only saw one time in Gredos mountain Range."

Confusing all right.  I'll keep my label as it is for now

[Gerry Webster]

Many thanks Ashley (&, indirectly, Rafa). Keeping your label sounds sensible -  N.lagoi might well re-appear after the next revision!

[ArnoldT]

I have this as Narcissus minor or asturiensis  from Xiabre , Spain

[mark smyth]

What a nightmare Narcissus is!

A  bit like snowdrops maybe

[David Nicholson]

I have this as Narcissus minor or asturiensis  from Xiabre , Spain

... are a can of worms on there own, never mind all the other species

[annew]

What a nightmare Narcissus is!

A  bit like snowdrops maybe

Wash your mouth out Mark Smyth! How could you compare the two? And Ashley, I go dewy-eyed over N. asturiensis as well.

[mark smyth]

gulp 

[ashley]

And Ashley, I go dewy-eyed over N. asturiensis as well.

That took me a while Anne 

[johnw]

Narcissus 'Flashback' in flower this week.  Very slow to get going but it seems to be settled in at last.

johnw        - +3c and sunny.

[David Nicholson]

Very nice John, it's one of Brian Duncan's "babies"

[annew]

It is nice - how tall is it?

[ronm]

Was it just leaves so far David? was for me! Except for bulbocodiumxromieuxii?). Nothing special really!

[Casalima]

I have lots of leaves too - flowers so far only for various bulbocodium. It has been so very dry and sunny and I didn't always water everything when I should have (forecast for today was min. 0ºC, max. 18ºC).

[johnw]

Very nice John, it's one of Brian Duncan's "babies"

David - That's great to know. I think I had read he worked with Flashback but didn't realize it was his.   Funny as I had ordered Englander or Candlepower from my supplier and got Flashback as a sub. Are these all Brian Duncan's?

Anne - The tallest Flashback leaf is poker-straight and 9" high. If you allow for the lack of sun all day long (when it does shine here) and potting rather high I'd say you could knock 2-3" off that. Thanks for the measurement request as I had gone to the greenhouse to cross-pollinate the cyclamineus and got side-tracked as usual. Now I've done the pollinations - otherwise no seed set -  and have probably caused premature flower drop. I also put cyclamineus pollen on Flashback.

I attach a photo of my cyclamineus and sorry for that blue interference.  There was a discussion in the last Daff Yearboook on the three perianth types in cyclamineus - guess these fall into the flared group which I was hoping.

johnw

[David Nicholson]

Very nice John, it's one of Brian Duncan's "babies"

David - That's great to know. I think I had read he worked with Flashback but didn't realize it was his.   Funny as I had ordered Englander or Candlepower from my supplier and got Flashback as a sub. Are these all Brian Duncan's?
 

Candlepower was Alec Gray's-registered 1975. Englander was registered 1992 with hybridiser unknown