Galanthus "caucasicus?"

[Brian Ellis]

I was talking to Joe yesterday and he said that G.alpinus var bortkewitschianus is clonal and grows in only one locality where it does appear in large sheets.  This was the reason he gave for mine being so slow.

[Leena]

Do var bortkewitschianus and var alpinus cross if planted close to each other?

[Brian Ellis]

That I don't know Leena, but if G.var bortkewitschianus is sterile ...I quote from the bible

Artjushenko reports that it is sterile, a fact that is supported by a triploid chromosome count of 3n=36. 

then I would very much doubt it, the monograph also says

When given suitable growing conditions it will produce small clumps in three to four years, although it can be shy-flowering.

[Alan_b]

G.alpinus var bortkewitschianus is clonal and grows in only one locality where it does appear in large sheets.

There's a snowdrop in a local churchyard that produces some buds but these rarely if ever open.  It covers an area of 2 to 3 square metres.  Given enough time and non-intervention perhaps it will come to rival G.alpinus var bortkewitschianus?  Any variety that is sterile has no actual need to produce flowers and competition between clonal forms must favour those that don't bother to produce flowers and so don't waste their energies.  When I grew G. alpinus var. bortkewitschianus I found it reluctant to flower.  Then one year it all died out despite having been spread to several different locations.   

[Leena]

Thanks Brian, if it is triploid and var alpinus diploid, the crossing may be very difficult if impossible (I'm waiting for the new edition for the "bible" so that's why I don't have it).
My G.alpinus var bortkewitschianus has flowered every year since I got it so that is good.
I'm hoping that Bondarenko's G.caucasicus/G.alpinus starts to multiply, it looks like a nice form with flower way above the foliage and late flowering is a bonus here.