The Botanical Magazine/Volume 2/48

by William Curtis

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[48]

Narcissus triandrus. Reflexed Daffodil.

Class and Order.

Hexandria Monogynia.

Generic Character.

Petala sex, æqualia. Nectario infundibuliformi, 1-phyllo, Stamina intra nectarium.

Specific Character and Synonyms.

NARCISSUS triandrus spatha sub-biflora, floribus cernuis, petalis reflexis, staminibus tribus longioribus.

NARCISSUS triandrus spatha sub-uniflora, nectario campanulato crenato dimidio petalis breviore, staminibus ternis. Lin. Syst. Vegetab. p. 317.

NARCISSUS juncifolius, albo flore reflexo. Clus. app. alt.

The yellow turning Junquilia, or Rush Daffodil. Parkins. Parad. 93. fig. 2, 3.

N^o48

The present species of Narcissus is considered by the Nursery-men near London as the triandrus of Linnæus, which it no doubt is, though it does not accord in every particular with his description: his triandrus is white, ours is pale yellow, but colour is not in the least to be depended on, for it is found to vary in this as in all the other species; his triandrus he describes as having in general only three stamina, whence the name he has given it; ours, so far as we have observed, has constantly six, three of which reach no further than the mouth of the tube, a circumstance so unusual, that Linnæus might overlook it without any great impeachment of his discernment; he says, indeed, that it has sometimes six: perhaps, the three lowermost ones may, in some instances, be elongated so as to equal the others; if he had observed the great inequality of their length, he would certainly have mentioned it.

This species is found wild on the Pyrenean mountains; was an inhabitant of our gardens in the time of Parkinson (who has very accurately described it, noticing even its three stamina) to which, however, it has been a stranger for many years: it has lately been re-introduced, but is as yet very scarce. Our figure was taken from a specimen which flowered in Mr. Lee's Nursery at Hammersmith.

It grows with as much readiness as any of the others of the genus, and flowers in March and April.