6 DAFFODILS — NARCISSUS 



in their original locations. The typical nar- 

 cissus, or small-cupped poeticus and Tazetta 

 types, are indigenous to regions bordering the 

 Mediterranean, their centre being in Greece 

 and Italy; some of the cluster-flowered Ta- 

 zettas (better known as polyanthus narcis- 

 sus) are wild in the Orient as far as Asia; the 

 trumpet narcissus or true daffodils are mostly 

 found wild in Great Britain and Western 

 Europe. 



These three important species, with a few 

 sub-species of lesser Importance, slowly 

 spreading Inch by Inch, annually, by offshoot 

 or seed, over mountain and through valley — 

 wherever conditions Invited — often met; and 

 as all wild, single-flowering narcissus produce 

 seed, the different types sometimes crossing 

 when in proximity and in flower at the same 

 time, they have thus blended and given rise 

 to mixed descendants — natural hybrids, some 

 of which resemble one parent, some the other. 

 Occasionally the offspring or hybrid would be 

 so different from either parent that a new 

 wild type was produced. 



In addition to the above causes of variety 

 In wild narcissus and daffodils, other natural 



