Autumn tazettas

Mary Lou Gripshover wanted me to explain about using the name N. obsoletus instead of N. elegans, and what was N. x obsoletus? Here is my response.

As I understand it N. x obsoletus was thought by Maire to be the hybrid between N. serotinus and N elegans. We have found that hybrid in Morocco and it also flowers in the autumn. It is a sterile diploid. However, if one looks at the original description of N. obsoletus by Haworth it has a drawing that looks exactly like what we were calling N. elegans and this dates back before the epithet N. elegans was made and has precedence. So it should be written as N. obsoletus (syn. N. elegans) and note no multiplicative x.
Note if N. obsoletus is used then N. x obsoletus becomes N. x perangustus Fernandez Casas, which is the natural hybrid.
Marilyn Howe, Derrick Donnison-Morgan and myself have all come to the same agreement about the names.

‘Autumn Sprite’ was the best miniature 8W-R from a batch of seed that Lawrence Trevanian sent me many years ago. The seed was from crossing N. tazetta lacticolor with N. obsoletus (syn. N. elegans).

'Autumn Sprite'

‘Autumn Sprite’


The next flower shown here is from ‘Autumn Colors Group’ by ‘Autumn Sprite’. Perhaps it is too large with too many florets to be classed as a miniature. I like the clean cut shape of the perianth and the paler cup color. Many people like the fragrance of this one.
'Autumn Colors Group' x 'Autumn Sprite'

‘Autumn Colors Group’ x ‘Autumn Sprite’


Last year I registered ‘Autumn Crinkle’ an 8W-O that usually has white flecks on the rim of the corona. Its parentage is Gloriosus x N. obsoletus. While the corona rim can be smooth on opening it usually becomes thicker and somewhat ruffled, hence the name. I posted a picture last year of a fully developed spike. Here is a fresh flower.
'Autumn Crinkle'

‘Autumn Crinkle’

Yesterday I gave a talk to a bulb group in Los Angeles and took a collection of autumn flowers. Here it is loaded into the car.

autumn flowers

autumn flowers

cheers
Harold

5 comments for “Autumn tazettas

  1. Thanks, Harold, for the further explanation, and for the photos.  It’s great to see photos of the autumn-blooming daffodils.  Like much of the nation currently, the overnight temperature here was in single digits–I think 7F was the official overnight temp.  Makes it hard to keep my unheated garage above freezing.  So far, so good.  No buds showing on Tequila Sunrise yet.  The good news is that we also have between 4 – 5 inches of snow, so the foliage on the various forms of N. jonquilla foolish enough to put up foliage are getting some protection.

    Mary Lou

  2. Commiserations on your climate. We of course need rain but chances of that are remote. I just hope our winter is not as warm as last years’.

  3. Harold, the first of those Autumn Colors Group x ‘Autumn Sprite’ seedlings that you sent me several years ago is in bloom right now.  It was slow opening.  Warm days, cold nights a factor, no doubt.  Now it’s just plain cold.  We are unseasonably cold at the moment, getting down to 18-20 at night, but we are expected to be in the 60s (daytime temps) by the weekend.  The other seedlings from this cross are just emerging from the ground.  It’s just the one blooming at the moment; It is starry with two florets.  I have discovered that after owning these for several years, they are not too keen on increasing.  Perhaps it’s the soil/climate.  Do yours increase well?  At any rate, it’s nice to have daffodils blooming here in South Carolina before Thanksgiving!  Thanks so much for sharing these with me.

  4. Hello Greg:
    While ‘Autumn Sprite’ and most of its siblings do make offsets readily, for some inexplicable reason, ‘Autumn Sprite’s offspring appear reluctant to do so.
    Harold

  5. Hi Harold,

    They’re beautiful things. You have broken my heart with those picked N. cavanillesii. Your N. miniatus SFR (small, flat, round) have done well here so far, some producing offsets as 2 year olds. I will share those around if they do okay in storage.

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