Daffodil

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Daffodil
Scientific Classification
Kingdom: Plantae Subkingdom: Tracheobionta Superdivision: Spermatophyta Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Liliopsida Subclass: Liliidae Order: Liliales Family: Liliaceae Genus: Narcissus
Species
N. assoanus (rushleaf jonquil) N. bulbocodium (petticoat daffodil) N. incomparabilis (nonesuch daffodil) N. jonquilla (jonquil) N. medioluteus (primrose peerless) N. odorus (Campernelle jonquil) N. papyraceus Ker-Gawl.(paperwhite narcissus) N. poeticus (poet's narcissus) N. pseudonarcissus (daffodil) N. tazetta (cream narcissus)
U.S. Daffodil distribution

Introduction

The daffodil or narcissus is a flower native to Potugal and Spain.

Anatomy

The daffodil is most easily recognized by six petals surrounding the corona. Although daffodils are often thought of as only yellow flowers they can actually be orange, pink, green and white in an addition to yellow.[1] The corona can be frilled, or in cases of double daffodils the corona can be spilt in two. daffodils range in size from anywhetre between two inch stems and flowers a half inch in diameter to two foot stems with five inch flowers.[2] The leaves are green, thin and blade-shaped and the ends begin to droop midway through the season. The stem is thin, upright and also green. The daffodil also contains a pedicle that supports the flower and is located under the flower and above the stem. Before the flower blooms it is surrounded and protected by the sheath. Females have a pistil, containing; a seedpod, stigma, and style. The male have a stamen, containing an anther and a filament. [3]

Reproduction

Although daffodils mostly reproduce sexually they can also produce asexually when a second plant is not around. The flower contains both the pistil and stamen for reproduction. Daffodils grow from bulbs, which can grow one daffodil or split into two and create two separate daffodil plants. If a daffodil is not in a near proximity of another daffodil the plant will produce a cluster of flowers but the flowers cannot scatter themselves, so they stay bundled together. These daughter plants often stay coupled with the mother plant, making it difficult to differentiate between groupings of plants and one singular plant.[4] Commercial daffodil growers will use a process called chipping where the harvester will chip off pieces from a single bulb into up to thirty pieces which will grow back into full bulbs. Often a gardener will attempt to cross divide divisions of daffodils by moving pollen by hand, since the natural cross pollinating does not happen often.[5]

Ecology

Daffodils grow well in slightly acidic soil, ranging from 6-7.5 on the pH scale. They prefer areas with full sun compared to partly shaded areas and bulbs will not grow if soil is soggy, so the ground must be well drained for premium growth. The daffodil is poisonous to most insects, and rodents and deer will not eat the bulbs. Daffodil plants can live through snow and very cold winters but wither up with hot temperatures and fall over from wind and rain. It is native to Spain and Portugal but now can be found all over North America and North Europe. The daffodil grows most abundantly on the eastern and Western coasts of the United States.

History

The daffodil, or narcissus, is mentioned several times in Ancient Greece literacy. Then original name for the daffodil was affodyle, which comes from afo dyle-meaning "the one that comes early" The letter 'D' was added to create daffodil because in 1629 daffodils with petals larger than the corona were named bastard narcissus by a scientist named Parkinson. Later they dropped the word bastard, for professional reasons, leaving just the last letter, D. In the Elizabethan era daffodils were commonly known as Daffodilly, Daffodowndill and Primrose Peereless .Mohammed once said, "He that has two cakes of bread, let him sell one of them for some flowers of the Narcissus, for bread is food for the body, but Narcissus is food of the soul."

Classification

The American Daffodil Society has grouped daffodils into thirteen groupings because of the plants size and shape.
•Division 1—Trumpet: One flower to a stem the corona is as long or longer than the perianth segments (Examples: Dutch Master, Spellbinder)
•Division 2—Large Cup: One flower to a stem, corona more than one-third but less than equal to the length of the petals (Examples: Carlton, Fragrant Rose)
•Division 3—Small Cup: One flower to a stem, corona not more than one-third the length of the perianth segments (Examples: Angel, Barrett Browning)
•Division 4—Double: One or more flowers to a stem, with twice as many of the perianth segments or the corona or both (Examples: Bridal Crown, Manly)
•Division 5—Triandrus: Usually two or more pendent flowers to a stem, perianth segments are bent backward( Examples: Petrel, Puppet)
•Division 6—Cyclamineus: One flower to a stem, perianth segments significantly bent backwards; flower at an acute angle to the stem, with a very short pedicle (Examples: February Gold, Rapture)
•Division 7—Jonquilla: One to five flowers to a stem, perianth segments reflexed; flowers usually fragrant (Examples: Curlew, Fruit Cup)
•Division 8—Tazetta: Usually three to twenty flowers to a stout stem, leaves are broad, perianth segments spreading, not reflexed; flowers fragrant (Examples: Avalanche, Falconet)
•Division 9—Poeticus: Usually one flower to a stem, perianth segments pure white; corona usually disc-shaped, with a green or yellow center and red rim; flowers fragrant (Examples: Actaea, Felindre)
•Division 10—Bulbocodium: Usually one flower to a stem, perianth segments insignificant compared with corona, filament and style are usually curved (Examples: Kenellis)
•Division 11—Split Corona: Corona is split usually for more than half its length. Further subdivided into divisions 11a and 11b, depending on how corona segments are arranged against the petals (Examples: Cum Laude, Trepolo)
•Division 12—Cultivars which do not fit the definition of any other division (Example: Mesa Verde)
•Division 13—Distinguished Solely by Botanical Name: All species and wild or reputedly wild variants and hybrids (Examples: N. obvallaris, N. x medioluteus)

Gallery

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  Daffodil (N. assoanus)

• Daffodil 3.jpg

  Daffodil (N. assoanus)

• Daffodil 4.jpg

  Daffodil (N. assoanus)

• Feild of daffodils.jpg

  Daffodil (N. assoanus)

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References

• PLANTS Profile: Narcissus L.daffodil by the U.S. Department of Agriculre
• [http://bulbs.suite101.com/article.cfm/understanding_daffodil_divisions
• [6]
• Understanding Daffodil Divisions Stephen Allen Christensen, Suite 101
• Hybridizing Daffodils Clay Higgins, Suite 101
• [7]
• [8]
• [9]