NARCISSUS 



NABCISSUS OBDEB 



NARCISSUS 903 



N. Tazetta, and bears 3-4 flowers on a 

 much compressed scape, the spreading 

 oblong acute segments being sulphur- 

 yellow, about 1 in. long and J in. broad ; 

 corona cup-shaped, orange-yeUow, deeply 

 and irregularly 3-lobed. 



Culture Sc. as above, p. 894. 



N. poculiformis (N. montanus). — This 

 is stated to be a native of the damp 

 valleys of the Pyrenees, and may be a 

 natural hybrid between N. Tazetta papy- 

 raceus and N. moschatus. It has bulbs 

 1-1|^ in. through, with about 4 linear 

 glaucous leaves 1 ft. long. The angled 

 scape, 1 ft. or more long, bears 1-2 fra- 

 grant pure white flowers with oblong 

 spreading segments about 1 in. long, 

 and a cup-shaped corona. This Daffodil 

 is, I beHeve, cultivated at Kew, but does 

 not appear to be offered for sale by the 

 trade. 



Culture dc. as above, p. 894. 



N. poeticus {Poet's or Pheascmt's 

 Eye Narcissus). — Of all the Daffodils 

 and Narcissi this is by far the best 

 known and probably the most popular. 

 It grows wild along the south of Europe 

 from France and Spain through Germany 

 to Greece. The ovoid bulbs are not much 

 more than 1 in. in diameter, and pro- 

 duce about 4 linear glaucous leaves 1 ft. 

 or more long. The beautiful white sohtary 

 flowers, 1^-2 in. across, are borne on 

 2-edged stalks from April to June, and 

 have a delicious fragrance. The flatfish 

 corona has a circle of red or orange round 

 the rim, and the radiating folds from the 

 centre filled with yellow stamens are in 

 beautiful contrast to the segments, and 

 have been likened to the colours of a 

 Pheasant's Eye ; hence one of the popular 

 names for the late-flowering variety called 

 recurvus. Some forms flower earlier than 

 others, among them being ornatus, a fine 

 variety with large white symmetrical 

 flowers having a corona rimmed with 

 scarlet; granSiflorus, rather floppy, but 

 very large, with a crimson-rimmed cup in 

 the centre of the white flowers ; poetarwm 

 has a bright orange-scarlet-edged corona ; 

 and prcBcox granMflorus' is one of the 

 earliest, with large white flowers and a 

 corona suffused with crimson. Other 

 varieties not so well known are ^aieMaris, 

 strong and late -flowering ; stellaris, also 

 late-flowering; and tripodaUs, early- 

 flowering, with rather reflexed narrow 

 segments. 



Perhaps all the forms of poeticus are 

 now surpassed in point of size and beauty 

 by the fine hybrids or forms raised by 

 Mr. Engleheart. These are not yet in 

 commerce, I believe, but as they exist 

 mention may be made of Albatross, Sea- 

 gull, Dante (ornatus and poetarum), 

 Petrarch (ornatus axiArecu/rvus), Southern 

 Cross, and others. 



In addition to the single-flowered 

 forms of the Poet's Narcissus, mention 

 must also be made of the double-flowered 

 or ' Gardenia ' Narcissus, derived from 

 the variety patellaris. It flowers in 

 June, and produces beautiful pure white 

 rosette-like blossoms which are very 

 sweet-scented and are excellent for cut- 

 ting. The bulbs should be grown in strong 

 rich soil, and are better shifted to a fresh 

 piece of ground every year, as they have 

 the misfortune to come ' blind ' very fre- 

 quently ; that is, the flower-stalks are 

 produced with great freedom, but the 

 blossoms never open and remain in an 

 undeveloped state in the spathe. It is 

 difficult to remedy this defect, but a good 

 mulching of manure in spring and plenty 

 of moisture may assist in the development 

 of the blossoms. 



For naturalising in all kinds of places 

 perhaps the Poet's Naroiss is unsurpassed 

 for giving effect in the spring months. 

 By the sides of streams, lakes, ponds &c., 

 on level grass land, or sloping ground, the 

 commoner sorts may be planted by the 

 thousand where space will permit, and 

 they will produce a woodland picture 

 difficult to surpass. 



Culture Sc. as above, p. 894. 



N. Pseudo-narcissus (Ajax or Com- 

 mon Trwmpet Daffodil; Lent Lily). — 

 This is found wild in the copses and 

 pastures in parts of England, and is 

 particularly plentiful in some of the 

 southern counties. The ovoid bulbs are 

 1-ly in. thick, bearing 4-6 linear glaucous 

 leaves about 1 ft. long. The large 

 solitary flowers are borne in March and 

 April on 2-edged stalks scarcely topping 

 the foliage. In the type the oblong seg- 

 ments are pale sulphur-yellow, over 

 1 in. long, while the corona is lemon- 

 yeUow and over 1 in. deep, and as 

 much across, with a plaited irregularly 

 incised-crenate margin. 



The flowers of this group are aU showy 

 and massive, and some remarkably beauti- 

 ful forms have been raised during recent 



