Colchicum byzantinum and friends
Russell Stafford, Odyssey Bulbs (Sat, 03 Oct 2009 18:56:04 PDT)
Colchicum laetum hort. has been given the name 'Pink Star'. It is
considered by some to be a selection of C. byzantinum. Plants I have
acquired from Holland under the name C. laetum have proven to be
close to C. byzantinum, complete with hooked crimson stigmas. They
depart from the latter in some ways though -- for one thing the corms
are smaller. This has puzzled me somewhat, as the corms of C. laetum
hort. are supposed to be similar in size to those of typical C.
byzantinum. Additionally, my C. laetum/'Pink Star' does not flower
earlier than C. byzantinum, as it's supposed to. I sometimes wonder
whether there are several clones of C. byzantinum in cultivation, and
I have something different from both typical C. byzantinum and 'Pink Star'.
Russell
At 01:25 PM 10/3/2009, you wrote:
Is there, then, an actual C. laetum? I have a plant under this name,
acquired from a Dutch wholesaler, but it is quite different from what
I have under the name C. parnassicum. I suppose my plant is the same
as John's "excellent free-flowering plant," as it makes quite a show,
despite its narrow segments.
Russell Stafford
Odyssey Bulbs
PO Box 382
South Lancaster, MA 01561
508-335-8106
http://www.odysseybulbs.com/