Nivalis with petticoat!

[johnw]

Zephirine, just out of interest, would it be possible to post links to your friend's blog and the French forum where this snowdrop has been discussed?  I can always use Google Translate for the more difficult French words.

There's a French Forum?

[Maggi Young]

There's a French Forum?

There is indeed! There may be more than one-  the one I know is Plantes-Passions:
http://plantes-passion.forumactif.fr/

 I haven't yet  checked to see if this is where the discusion has been about these 'drops.........


.... yes, it is! http://plantes-passion.forumactif.fr/t4593p15-galanthus-2012-13

[Alan_b]

Thanks Maggi; I found an apt quote.

Les fous de la Galanthe s'arrachent ces bizarreries végétales à prix d'or !

 

[Maggi Young]

Thanks Maggi; I found an apt quote.
"Les fous de la Galanthe s'arrachent ces bizarreries végétales à prix d'or !"
 

Yup, it is not only the Greeks who "have a word for it".........

[Maggi Young]

Here are some links to photos, both in the forum and elsewhere, of 'drops, mostly doubles, which show a exta floral segments which I think are getting close to the"petticoat" segments shown in the snowdrops of Zeph's friend.

http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=4040.msg106597#msg106597

http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=4921.msg134882#msg134882

http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=3035.msg76942#msg76942

http://www.magdaindigo.co.uk/portfolio/photo/232

http://www.pottertons.co.uk/pott/view_product.php?pid=2877  Hill Poe  on Rob Potterton's site

http://greenforks.com/2009/02/snowdrop-temptation/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/14230388@N03/4360079054/#

http://www.galanthus.co.uk/snowdrop/Nivalis-Flore-Pleno

http://www.plantsgaloreonline.co.uk/bulbs/spring_flowering_bulbs/snowdrop_double_galanthus_bulbs_10_per_pack.html

[Alan_b]

Wow, that's a superb bit of research Maggi.

The snowdrops we typically call 'doubles' are actually flore pleno (or similar Latin) meaning that they have multiple extra petals, not just twice the normal number.  Typically there might be zero or one extra outer petals and many extra inner petals.  Rarely one sees a true double snowdrop like 'Godfrey Owen' which has twice the normal number of petals, both inner and outer, with the outer petals at least, still in the single tier of a single snowdrop.  But these 'petticoat' snowdrops are one-and-a-half rather than double with just three extra petals that are intermediate in nature between normal inner and outer petals and on a third inner tier.  And all the photographs show them to be very perfect and symmetrical.

So I still think these 'petticoat' snowdrops are very distinct and, excepting Brian's find, unique.         

[Maggi Young]

Yes, I think the petticoat flowers are quite "other" -  but the photos of doubles with one or two long extra segments as part of their flowrs show that there is a fairly widespread possibility to make such segments - the petticoats are making these in a very neat and regular fashion, which I would HOPE means they might be more likely to be both stable and healthy. 

[Maggi Young]

Good grief, I've been drawn into a discussion on what might be a new snowdrop  type -
I'm off to lie down in a darkened room- with luck this folly may pass.......

 Zephirine- see what you have done?!

[Brian Ellis]

Have yourself some chocolate Maggi, that'll help you feel normal again

[zephirine]

Yes, fantastic research work, Maggi!!! How did you did that??? Thank you!!!!
It shows perfectly how Galanthus have a natural tendency to produce such transformed anthers in the center!
Ian's "odd finds" (third link) are pretty close, as if Mother Nature had tried hard to create a Petticoat there, but failed to succeed completely at that moment...
But I agree with Alan,the geometry and regularity of mu friend's Petticoats, combined with their natural and easy propagation in her garden, are good signs of a stable form.
I also have noticed a G. rizehensis with 4 outer segments in my garden this year, but I'm pretty sure this won't happen again, or at least not with this bulb. They just have a hiccup from time to time, like me!   
I'm sorry (but delighted ! ) to have dragged you there,dear Maggi !
Thank you all for your help!!!

[Beatrice]

Hi , thanks for putting these links Maggi, not only for the pictures of the snowdrops but I also recognised myself in one of them : 3rd link 3rd photo just in front the lady with the hat that's me  . Good memories of my trip to Scotland some years ago !!!

[Geoforce]

As a new member of the forum, I have been browsing some of the older posts which looked interesting.  This one reminded me of one of my previous interests.

From the 70s through the 90s, ( until the deer developed more of a taste for them than I had) I was a very avid hemerocallis gardener with a special interest in double forms. In these plants there are 3 main forms of doubles:

1. 3 of the 6 anthers become petaloids
2. All 6 of the anthers become petaloids
3. The anthers and style become a complete flower and this repeats 2 or 3 times giving 12, 18, 24, etc petaloids

These three forms appear to be controlled by different genes which interact.

This 'petticoat' galanthus looks to me to be like the type 1. above.  Can't tell from the photo, but how many anthers are present in these?  Would be of interest.

Geo