For some years I've been growing Bellevalia pycnantha, originally from seed purchased from the Archibalds. This is one of the more attractive members of a genus (close to Muscari) otherwise known for muddy-colored flowers. Its crowded flowers are very deep blue (I think of it as "navy blue"), with a slight yellowish rim at the mouth of the florets. Last fall I purchased some Dutch-grown bulbs under the same name and planted them in the garden, hoping to have a good colony of this Bellevalia, which I have found slow to increase. They also are flowering now and are rather different from my older plants. The flowers are lighter blue and have white, not yellow, rims. In addition, the new plants' leaves lie flat on the ground, whereas the old plants' leaves are mostly erect. I don't find any mention of the habit of the leaves in the descriptions of the species available to me, only that they are channeled and longer than the scape, which applies equally to both these forms (though the old plants have leaves that are more noticeably channeled). Is this just a case of normal variation within the species, the Dutch growers having happened on a form that increases fast? Or are the bulbs being marketed under this name botanically different - perhaps even a hybrid with a Muscari, if that does occur? I hope that someone, perhaps Lauw de Jager, can enlighten me. It would also be interesting to learn the parentage of the lovely Muscari 'Valerie Finnis', if it is known. Or did it simply appear in her famous garden? Jane McGary Northwestern Oregon