Musiche: 2001: Jozef van Wissem Narcissus Drowning Persephone 003

Narcissus /n?:r's?s?s/ is a genus of mostly spring perennial crops in the Amaryllidaceae (amaryllis) family. Various common brands 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 generally white or yellow (orange or green in garden kinds), with either standard or contrasting colored corona and tepals.

Narcissus were well known in old civilisation, both and botanically medicinally, but formally identified by Linnaeus in his Types Plantarum (1753). The genus is normally considered to have about ten portions with around 50 species. The amount of kinds has mixed, depending on how they are classified, anticipated to similarity between types and hybridization. The genus arose time in the Late Oligocene to Early Miocene epochs, in the Iberian peninsula and adjacent regions of southwest Europe. The exact origins of the name Narcissus is unidentified, but it is linked to a Greek expression for intoxicated (narcotic) and the myth of the youngsters of this name who fell in love with his own reflection. The English term 'daffodil' is apparently produced from "asphodel", with which it was commonly likened.

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

Historical accounts suggest narcissi have been cultivated from the earliest times, but became increasingly popular in Europe after the 16th century and by the later 19th century were an important commercial crop centred mostly on holland. Narcissi are popular as trim blossoms as ornamental crops in private and open public gardens today. The long history of breeding has resulted in thousands of different cultivars. For horticultural purposes, narcissi are classified into divisions, covering an array of colours and shapes. Like other members of these family, narcissi produce a number of different alkaloids, which provide some protection for the plant, but may be poisonous if ingested inadvertently. This property has been exploited for medicinal use within traditional healing and has led to the production of galantamine for the treatment of Alzheimer's dementia. Long celebrated in artwork and books, narcissi are associated with a true number of themes in several cultures, ranging from death to fortune, and as symbols of planting season. The daffodil is the nationwide bloom of Wales and the sign of cancers charities in many countries. The looks of the outrageous flowers in springtime is associated with festivals in many places.

Narcissus is a genus of perennial herbaceous bulbiferous geophytes, dying back after flowering to the underground storage bulb. They regrow in the next calendar year from brown-skinned ovoid bulbs with pronounced necks, and reach heights of 5-80 cm with respect to the species. Dwarf varieties such as N. asturiensis have a maximum level of 5-8 cm, while Narcissus tazetta might develop as high as 80 cm.

The plants are scapose, having an individual central leafless hollow blossom stem (scape). Several green or blue-green, slim, strap-shaped leaves happen from the bulb. The place stem bears a solitary bloom, but once in a while a cluster of bouquets (umbel). The flowers, that are conspicuous and white or yellowish usually, sometimes both or almost never renewable, contain a perianth of three parts. Closest to the stem (proximal) is a floral pipe 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 blooms may hang up down (pendent), or be erect. You will discover six pollen bearing stamens surrounding a central style. The ovary is substandard (below the floral parts) consisting of three chambers (trilocular). The super fruit contains a dried capsule that splits (dehisces) launching numerous black seed products.

The bulb sits dormant following the leaves and bloom stem die back again and has contractile roots that pull it down further in to the soil. The rose stem and leaves form in the bulb, to emerge the following season. Most types are dormant from summer to later winter, flowering in the spring and coil, though a few kinds are fall flowering.

Narcissus Pictures

Narcissus plants Source

Saturday, April 11, 2009

see the narcissus as a majestic flower with beautiful blossom and

The word Narcissus is derived from the Greek word narke, meaning