Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
Bulbs => Ian Young's Bulb Log - Feedback Forum => Topic started by: Gerry Webster on April 17, 2008, 06:16:32 PM
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Ian - I agree that there is a good deal of confusion over F. grandiflora & F. kotchyana. Although Martyn Rix considered grandiflora as a subsp of kotschyana, the old 'Flora of the USSR' regards them as distinct species & Kew maintains this distinction. However, in the Frit Group Spring Show 2005 (report in 'Fritlllaria' no17) two distinct plants labelled F.grandiflora were shown. The first was the usually seen dark form - like yours - which probably derives via Moscow & Martyn Rix from the old type collection made at Lerik in Azerbaijan. The second, recently collected by Bob Wallis in Iran some 50 km S of Lerik, had green & brown flowers & looked quite close to F.kotschyana. Bob told me that the green & brown form crops up in seedlings of the dark, Lerik form. Make what you will of this.
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Thanks Gerry for that information.
I find that our F grandiflora does come true from seed with little variation and it has a lanceolate nectary while kotschyana has a more ovate nectary and the tepals are a different shape.
My original one that we put up to Joint Rock did come through Martin Rix and I am convinced that it is not a form or subspecies of kotschyana so I am with Kew and the Russians on this one.
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Glad to see you are hybridising away there! :D