Narcissus x incomparabilis Mill.

Horticultural & Botanical History

First botanically described by Miller in his Gardeners’ Dictionary as Narcissus incomparabilis in 1768: ‘Daffodil with one flower in a sheath, having a very short bell-shaped nectarium, and declining flamina’ [Gard. Dict. ed.8, sp.3/1768]. It is now considered to be a hybrid.

Herbert demonstrated that incomparabilis, ‘or the genus Queltia of Haworth’, is a hybrid between Ajax and Narcissus poeticus.  Ajax, ‘with its enormous cup’, is a variety of N. pseudo-narcissus.  [BR vol.29 f.38/1843].  ‘This species of Narcissus, though well described and figured by the old Botanists, especially Parkinson, has been overlooked by Linnaeus.  It is undoubtedly the incomparable Daffodil of Parkinson, figured in his Garden of Pleasant Flowers; and the incomparabilis of Miller’s Dict. ed. 6. 4to. the latter informs us, that he received roots of it from Spain and Portugal, which fixes its place of growth.  It is a very hardy bulbous plant, and flowers in April; in its single state it is very ornamental, the petals are usually pale yellow, and the nectary inclined to be orange, which towards the brim is more brilliant in some than in others; in its double state it is well known to gardeners, by the name of Butter and Egg Narcissus, and of this there are two varieties, both of which produce very shewy flowers, the one with colours similar to what we have above described, which is the most common, the other with petals of a pale sulphur colour, almost white, and the nectary bright orange his, which is one of the most ornamental of the whole tribe, is named in Dutch Catalogues, the Orange Phoenix; its blossoms are so large as frequently to require supporting; its bulbs may be had of many of the Nurseries about London, and of those who, profiting by the supineness of our English gardeners, import bulbs from abroad.’  [BM t.121/1790].  Introduced to Britain from Portugal in 1629.  [JD].

History at Camden Park

Listed in all published catalogues [B.339/1843].

Notes