Narcissus Part 3

The daffodils really are racing ahead this year, and I will be lucky if there are any left in VC31 when I get down for my annual daffodil hunt. Proving this point I found a fine stand of Pheasant's-eye Daffodil (Narcissus poeticus) in full bloom along Fleet Lane, Methley (VC63) today. This was subsp. poeticus which is distinguished by the corona which is a flat disc. To avoid confusion, the photo is of a 'severed head' displayed against some foliage in my garden.

Narcissus poeticus subsp. poeticus

Note the long parallel sided perianth tube which is typical of this species and its hybrids

While this species is straightforward once known, the keys make reference to the stamens occurring in two whorls. This is only really evident when you split the perianth, and even then they are only slightly separated. This trait can just be made out in the following photo. Note the anthers have been removed from the lower whorl for clarity.

The two tone corona of Pheasant's-eye is also sometimes evident in its hybrids. While past its best, an example is this modern Nonesuch Daffodil (N. x incomparabilis) cultivar found under a hedgerow by the Aire & Calder Navigation.