Narcissus Garden Yayoi Kusama From the quot;Beyond Limi… Flickr

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 a cup- or trumpet-shaped corona. The flowers are generally white or yellowish (orange or red in garden kinds), with either even or contrasting coloured tepals and corona.

Narcissus were well known in old civilisation, both medicinally and botanically, but formally explained by Linnaeus in his Species Plantarum (1753). The genus is generally considered to have about ten areas with roughly 50 species. The number of species has mixed, depending on how they are categorized, as a consequence to similarity between hybridization and varieties. The genus arose time in the Late Oligocene to Early Miocene epochs, in the Iberian peninsula and adjacent regions of southwest Europe. The precise source of the true name Narcissus is unknown, but it is often associated with a Greek term for intoxicated (narcotic) and the misconception of the young ones of this name who fell in love with his own reflection. The English term 'daffodil' appears to be produced from "asphodel", with which it was likened commonly.

The types are local to meadows and woods in southern Europe 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 prior to the tenth century. Narcissi tend to be long-lived bulbs, which propagate by division, but are also insect-pollinated. Known pests, diseases and disorders include viruses, fungi, the larvae of flies, mites and nematodes. Some Narcissus species have become extinct, while some are threatened by increasing urbanisation and tourism.

Historical accounts suggest narcissi have been cultivated from the earliest times, but became ever more popular in Europe following the 16th century and by the later 19th century were an important commercial crop centred mainly on the Netherlands. Today narcissi are popular as slash plants so when ornamental vegetation in private and open public gardens. The long history of breeding has resulted in thousands of different cultivars. For horticultural purposes, narcissi are categorized into divisions, covering an array of shapes and colours. Like other members of their family, narcissi produce a true number of different alkaloids, which provide some protection for the plant, but may be poisonous if ingested accidentally. This property has been exploited for medicinal utilization in traditional healing and has led to the production of galantamine for the treatment of Alzheimer's dementia. Long celebrated in literature and art, narcissi are associated with a number of themes in various cultures, ranging from death to good fortune, and as icons of spring and coil. The daffodil is the countrywide bloom of Wales and the sign of cancer tumor charities in many countries. The looks of the wild flowers in spring is associated with celebrations in many places.

Narcissus is a genus of perennial herbaceous bulbiferous geophytes, dying back after flowering with an 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 may develop as extra tall as 80 cm.

The plant life are scapose, having a single central leafless hollow rose stem (scape). Several blue-green or green, slim, strap-shaped leaves arise from the light. The plant stem bears a solitary blossom, but once in a while a cluster of plants (umbel). The blossoms, which can be usually conspicuous and white or yellowish, both or hardly ever renewable sometimes, consist of a perianth of three parts. Closest to the stem (proximal) is a floral tube above the ovary, then an outside ring made up of six tepals (undifferentiated sepals and petals), and a central disk to conical formed corona. The blossoms may hang up down (pendent), or be erect. You will find six pollen bearing stamens bordering a central style. The ovary is inferior (below the floral parts) comprising three chambers (trilocular). The berries involves a dried up capsule that splits (dehisces) releasing numerous black seed products.

The bulb is placed dormant following the leaves and blossom stem die back again and has contractile root base that take it down further into the soil. The flower stem and leaves form in the bulb, to emerge the following season. Most kinds are dormant from summer season to overdue winter, flowering in the springtime, though a few kinds are fall flowering.

Narcissus Pictures

Narcissus Garden”, installation views, photos © Yayoi Kusama

YayoiKusama Narcissus Garden, 1966 stainless steel spheres, set

Narcissus Garden hybrids

Daffodil Narcissus Mount Hood Longfield Gardens