colchicum byzantinum & friends
Russell Stafford, Odyssey Bulbs (Mon, 05 Oct 2009 18:08:33 PDT)
C. decaisnei is apparently a highly variable species -- the segments
range in size from 1.5 to 4.5 cm long, and in color from white to
lilac- or purple-pink. Flowers can be narrowly or broadly funnel
shaped. Moreover, its name has been and still is applied to several
other species including C. troodii. It's possible that seeds of
different provenance would produce plants that resembled C. laetum
hort. I have seen photos of supposed C. decaisnei flowers that are a
dead ringer for C. laetum hort.
Russell
At 08:49 PM 10/5/2009, you wrote:
Jane McGary wrote,
The plant I received as C. laetum from Dutch growers is NOTHING like
C. decaisnei, which I have grown from Archibalds' seed of documented
wild origin. C. decaisnei is a rather small species, though not a
real miniature, and very pale pink its flowers do not open widely
like those of C. laetum hort.
Jane McGary
Russell Stafford
Odyssey Bulbs
PO Box 382
South Lancaster, MA 01561
508-335-8106
http://www.odysseybulbs.com/