By Gail K.
TO BE OR NOT TO BE? IS IT OR ISN’T IT ?
DAFFODILS,
That come before the swallow dares, and take
The winds of March with beauty
–Wm Shakespeare, The Winter Tale
Following my most recent posts I want to share a question I had while putting the articles together….
When you look at this photo do you see a daffodil or narcissus??
What about these??
these??
My quest- search the internet & find the answer.
NARCISSUS: Latin, Botanical name for Daffodil.
DAFFODIL-March birth flower common name for all members under the genus Narcissus.
The Narcissus is a conspicuous flower with 6 petal like Tepals, surmounted by a cup or trumpet shaped corona.100’s of species. Native to Asia, China & Mediterranean; European colonist brought to the New World.
Finding terminology confusing; thanks to a web page “Dave’s Garden,” I finally grasped the concept of a “complete flower.” The outer whorl has 6 Tepals; 3 sepals & 3 petals, making the perianth. The second whorl is 1 central corona/trumpet which varies in shape & color.
I hope you see the specific parts above?.
This along with foliage, # of blooms per stem, size, color & flowering time determine “classification” of 25,000 registered hybrids.
per Webster Dictionary-
Daffodil-various perennial bulbous herbs (genus Narcissus) of the Amaryllis family esp’ one whose flowers
have a large corona elongated into a trumpet (compare narcissus-jonquil) {so that is why they are in the bulb show}
AMARYLLIS- University of Minnesota web page, good info- Species amaryllis Belladonna-from Africa, in zone 5 we see them as forced bulbs in winter. However, the genus amaryllis, includes the name “Naked Lady” and we do plant those in zone 5.
PAPERWHITES – prefer zone 8-11, minature white blooms, used in zone 5 as forced bulbs during Christmas season-
Next
JONQUILS- quail daffodils/Narcissus jonquilla family (specific type of daffodil); planted in fall- zone 4-9, display “clusters” of 2-4 small, fragrant yellow flowers per stem. In Mediterranean jonquils may be white with short tubed shape blooms.
I discovered, I have more Jonquils than “Daffodils” but I do prefer the small size & clustered look
but trust me–I did this unknowing what I was really doing……..after all, a bulb is a bulb and if the flower is
yellow with a trumpet & comes up in spring–it’s a daffodil…right?
Moving on-
DAFFODILS- relate to larger flowering versions; the trumpets being long, in various colors.
Some trumpets are ruffled
and those with no trumpet labeled as double.
again I ask–Daffodil or Narcissus???
Right or Wrong??? Does it really matter??
I hope this ditty will bring a smile
DAFFODOWNDILLY:
She wore her yellow sun-bonnet,
She wore her greenest gown;
She turned to the south wind
and curtsied up and down.
She turned to the sunlight
And shook her yellow head,
And whispered to her neighbor:
“Winter is dead”
A./A. Millne, “When We Were Very Young”
In closing: such back & forth in weather and having to maintain social distance—
this seemed most appropriate-enjoy hope to see ya all soon! g
I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Wm. Wordsworth, “I Wander’d Lonely as a Cloud”
GK
Monroe County Master Gardener Association 