Narcissus Fine Gardening

Narcissus /n?:r's?s?s/ is a genus of mainly spring perennial vegetation in the Amaryllidaceae (amaryllis) family. Various common labels including daffodil,[notes 1] daffadowndilly,[3] narcissus, and jonquil are used to describe all or some known members of the genus. Narcissus has conspicuous flowers with six petal-like tepals surmounted by way of a cup- or trumpet-shaped corona. The flowers are usually white or yellowish (orange or green in garden kinds), with either standard or contrasting colored tepals and corona.

Narcissus were well known in historic civilisation, both medicinally and botanically, but formally explained by Linnaeus in his Varieties Plantarum (1753). The genus is generally considered to have about ten parts with about 50 species. The amount of species has varied, depending on how they are categorized, due to similarity between varieties and hybridization. The genus arose some right time in the Late Oligocene to Early Miocene epochs, in the Iberian peninsula and adjacent areas of southwest Europe. The exact source of the true name Narcissus is mysterious, but it is associated with a Greek word for intoxicated (narcotic) and the misconception of the youth of this name who fell in love with his own reflection. The English expression 'daffodil' is apparently derived from "asphodel", with which it was commonly likened.

The species are local to meadows and woods in southern European countries and North Africa with a center of diversity in the Western Mediterranean, the Iberian peninsula particularly. Both cultivated and wild plants have naturalised widely, and were introduced into the Far East before the tenth century. Narcissi have a tendency to be long-lived bulbs, which propagate by division, but are insect-pollinated also. Known pests, diseases and disorders include viruses, fungi, the larvae of flies, mites and nematodes. Some Narcissus species have grown to be extinct, while some are threatened by increasing tourism and urbanisation.

Historical accounts suggest narcissi have been cultivated from the earliest times, but became ever more popular in Europe after the 16th century and by the late 19th century were an important commercial crop centred primarily on the Netherlands. Narcissi are popular as chop bouquets so that as ornamental vegetation in private and general population gardens today. The long history of breeding has resulted in thousands of different cultivars. For horticultural purposes, narcissi are classified into divisions, covering a wide range of colours and shapes. Like other members of the family, narcissi create a true number of different alkaloids, which provide some protection for the plant, but may be poisonous if accidentally ingested. This property has been exploited for medicinal use within traditional healing and has resulted in the production of galantamine for the treating Alzheimer's dementia. Long celebrated in artwork and literature, narcissi are associated with a number of themes in different cultures, ranging from fatality to good fortune, and as icons of spring. The daffodil is the nationwide rose of Wales and the icon of malignancy charities in many countries. The looks of the wild flowers in planting season is associated with celebrations in many places.

Narcissus is a genus of perennial herbaceous bulbiferous geophytes, dying back again after flowering with an underground storage light bulb. They regrow in the next season from brown-skinned ovoid lights with pronounced necks, and reach heights of 5-80 cm with respect to the species. Dwarf species such as N. asturiensis have a maximum height of 5-8 cm, while Narcissus tazetta might develop as extra tall as 80 cm.

The vegetation are scapose, having an individual central leafless hollow flower stem (scape). Several blue-green or green, narrow, strap-shaped leaves come up from the light. The flower stem bears a solitary flower, but once in a while a cluster of flowers (umbel). The plants, that happen to be conspicuous and white or yellow usually, sometimes both or rarely green, consist of a perianth of three parts. Closest to the stem (proximal) is a floral tube above the ovary, then an external ring made up of six tepals (undifferentiated sepals and petals), and a central disc to conical molded corona. The bouquets may hang up down (pendent), or be erect. A couple of six pollen bearing stamens surrounding a central style. The ovary is second-rate (below the floral parts) comprising three chambers (trilocular). The fruits involves a dry out capsule that splits (dehisces) releasing numerous black seeds.

The bulb sits dormant after the leaves and blossom stem die back again and has contractile origins that pull it down further into the soil. The flower leaves and stem form in the light, to emerge the following season. Most types are dormant from summer time to later winter, flowering in the springtime, though a few varieties are autumn flowering.

Narcissus Pictures

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Flower Picture: Narcissus Flower Picture

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