Galanthus February 2008

[Diane Whitehead]

The snowdrop book is good not only for its pictures, but also
its keys.  This only works with named ones, of course, not
seedlings.

A friend had imported quite a few snowdrops from one of the
U.K. specialists.  There was a rogue in one group, and I was
able to use the key to figure out what it likely was.  We checked
in the catalogue, and the seller did offer that variety, so my
keying was right.  That was a very satisfying moment.

[KentGardener]

Martin

my favorite is the 4th picture (3189)  -  to me it looks like balloons full of water!

John

[Hagen Engelmann]

Hi, Martin
Very fine seedlings. The last looks like a drop over drop, because of its unusual ovarium.
All the flowers look wellproportioned.
We can recognition your expert`s eye.

[Martin Baxendale]

Martin
my favorite is the 4th picture (3189)  -  to me it looks like balloons full of water!
John

That's one I'm keeping a close eye on. It flowered for the first time this year and is very large, tall and strong, especially for a first year flower. It looks better wider open, but it's taking its time opening up wide - was closed tight for ages and is slowly lifting its outers higher as the claws lengthen.

It looked a bit inelegant at first, with those odd outers, but as they lengthen and raise up I think it's going to be a beauty.

Here's a pic I got of it a bit wider open this morning...

[Anthony Darby]

Very blowsey.

[Brian Ellis]

I think it's going to be a beauty.

I think it already is Martin.  Very pleasing to the eye.

[Tony Willis]

A white one I think it is a nivalis

[Gerard Oud]

Very nice one's Martin, i couldn't find any valve on the photo's so they must be real.

[emma T]

the book is very useful. mine is rarely out of my sight this time of year.its a must have.

[snowdropman]

Romeo .... is thought to be extinct but i guess not anymore

Rob, be careful with your assumption that this is the original g. "Romeo".

There is indeed a snowdrop circulating under the name of g. "Romeo", or g. plicatus "Romeo", and through the kindness of a Forum member I grow this but, at this time, we retain an open mind as to whether it has any connection with the original snowdrop of that name.

The first mention of "Romeo", that I have been able to find, was on page 207 of the 1891 RHS Journal, where Mr F.W. Burbidge stated "g. plicatus 'Romeo' is a fine seedling variety raised by Mr Allen .."

On March 9th 1907, the following appeared in 'The Gardener's Chronicle' - "Mr Bedford obligingly sends us from Straffan, Kildare, fine samples of galanthus plicatus "Romeo", with very broad (1 1/4 inch) plicate, glaucous leaves. The outer perianth segments are spreading, broadly oblong, fully an inch in length, pure white, the inner ones about half the length, overlapping so as to form a tube, white at the base, notched at the apex and marked in the upper part with a deep green band, edged with white." 

At the RHS, Lindley Library, there is a drawing by E.A. Bowles of g. plicatus "Romeo" upon which is annotated "Sent by Frederick Bedford from Straffan, Co Kildare 14/3/1907" which, again, shows a wide leaved plant.

In 1956, in his book "Snowdrops and Snowflakes", Sir Frederick Stern included "Romeo" in his list of varieties of galanthus, quoting Burbidge as his source, and stating it to be a form of plicatus.

In the 1990's, John Morley (North Green Snowdrops) was selling a snowdrop under this name, but he has since lost it - he told me that he obtained his original bulbs from somewhere in Scotland but is presently unable to confirm precise details of source as his records are in store.

Some years ago, Ruby Baker went to the Edinburgh Botanical Garden to examine the snowdrop that they listed as g. "Romeo", but this did not match the above description - their records gave a Mr Robertson as the source of their bulbs, but the trail went cold there as there were several Mr Robertson's recorded in their records and they could not say which had donated this plant.

Promisingly, at the talk that he gave at the 1998 Galanthus Gala, Chris Brickell referred to a snowdrop, called g. "Romeo", that he had got from John Morley, and expressed the view that the modern day "Romeo" checked out favourably against the snowdrop in the 1907 Bowles drawing but Chris has also now lost his plants of "Romeo".

Aaron Davis, the author of 'The Genus Galanthus', published in 1999, considered "Romeo" to be no longer in cultivation and his list of such extinct cultivars was in turn included in the 'Snowdrops' book, published in 2001, where it was stated "We list them here for completeness and to help prevent re-use of their names for future cultivars ...".

The plant that I grow, came from an Irish public garden, but they have no records of how and when it came to be in the garden - it was grown in the garden with a label stating it to be g. 'Romeo', but it is clearly a plicatus.

So, as you can see, the jury is still out on whether or not the modern day "Romeo" has any connection with the original plant of that name.

What would be helpful, is if your friend was able to share with me the source of his bulbs of "Romeo", so that I could see if that trail took us anywhere - could you ask him for me please?

[Alan_b]

A white one I think it is a nivalis

Reminds me of a beautiful white nivalis I found last year.  But this year is is completely normal!  How it temporarily lost its colour is a mystery.

[Martin Baxendale]

My big blousey seedling opened up a bit more this afternoon. I think it gets a bit more elegant as it opens.

Next, something a bit smaller (the pound coin held alonside the flower shows the scale). Not a tiny nivalis, but a dinky nivalis X plicatus hybrid. In the garden it lifted its outer petals right up to the horizonal like propellor blades, which looked really nice. Now it's sulking at being in a pot and won't do it again!

Then some other seedlings open in the garden today.

[Martin Baxendale]

By the way, the big blousey seedling is a plicatus cross, not an elwesii.

[KentGardener]

Hi Martin

more great new flowers.  For me,in order of preference are:

3256 - First Prize
3236 - second
3269 - third
3251 - fourth

cheers

John

[snowdropman]

Rob - interesting that your trail leads back to Edinburgh Botanical Gardens - I will be interested to see if your contact can throw any more light on the origins of their g. "Romeo"