In reply to Jim Waddick's question about a mystery Galanthus: Where gracilis meets elwesii in western Turkey you get some interesting intermediates that are to all intents and purposes G. gracilis, but much larger and more robust than what we generally know as this sp. in cultivation. The plants collected by H.J. Elwes in 1874 and named G. elwesii by Joseph Hooker were in fact these big G. gracilis: the name elwesii later got attached to the supervolute species we know under that epithet today (the name has been 'conserved'). Such plants occur in cultivation from bulbs collected in western Turkey and are often rather fertile. They have been called 'Cassaba' and variations on that name, and 'Daglingworth' is almost certainly of similar origin, though from a naturalised population in a wood near here. 'Colesborne' and 'Carolyn Elwes' from here are of the same sort, but perhaps closer to G. elwesii. A nice feature is that, like 'normal' G. gracilis, the apices of the inner segments turn outwards to make a frill that exposes the ridges and furrows of the inner surface, adding a great deal to an already refined flower. John Grimshaw Dr John M. Grimshaw Garden Manager, Colesbourne Gardens Sycamore Cottage Colesbourne Nr Cheltenham Gloucestershire GL53 9NP Website: http://www.colesbournegardens.org.uk/ ----- Original Message ----- From: "James Waddick" <jwaddick@kc.rr.com> To: "Pacific Bulb Society" <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org> Sent: Friday, March 04, 2005 5:07 PM Subject: [pbs] Galanthus ?? > Dear All; (John Grimshaw?) > I visited a friend about 100 miles south of here and saw a > clump of a Galanthus that struck me as something odd from first view. > After keying out the major characteristics, it keyed to G. gracilis, > but it doesn't really fit at all. > > It has applanate vernation, but the grey- to grey-green > glaucous foliage gets to 20-23 cm tall and 1.4 to 2 cm wide with a > very slight twist. > > The flowers inner perianth segment is well over 1/2 covered > in a mid-green mark,but somes show a hint of an X at the lower half. > The large grey glaucous foliage and applanate vernation seem to not > fit anything unless it is a hybrid of? The variation in inner > perianth marks tells me these are mix of seedlings, not a clone and > therefore close enough to be a species, not a hybrid? > > Appreciate any guesses. The flowers are going down so > pictures won't show much. > > Stumped. Jim W. > -- > Dr. James W. Waddick > 8871 NW Brostrom Rd. > Kansas City Missouri 64152-2711 > USA > Ph. 816-746-1949 > Zone 5 Record low -23F > Summer 100F + > > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php >