Narcissus x medioluteus Mill.

Horticultural & Botanical History

First botanically described as Narcissus medio-luteus by Miller in his Gardeners’ Dictionary in 1768: ‘Daffodil with two flowers in a sheath, a short bell-shaped nectarium, and nodding flowers’ [Gard. Dict. ed. 8, p.4/1768]. Still commonly known today as Narcissus biflorus, the name given to it by Curtis in 1792 [BM t.197/1792].

‘As it grows readily, increases in a greater degree than most others, and is both ornamental and odiferous, it is no wonder that we meet with it in almost every garden, and that in abundance. […] It usually produces two flowers, hence we have called it biflorus; it frequently occurs with one, more rarely with three.’  [BM t.197/1792]. 

Narcissus biflorus is a very old plant described by Gerarde and by Parkinson in 1629, who record it as being very common in country gardens throughout England.  ‘If this plant had only appeared lately, I should have thought it had been produced by the Dutch florists; but as it was unquestionably in most of our country gardens, so early as the 15^th century, it is most probably one of Nature’s mules. […] The name of Biflorus is very ambiguous, for the peduncle has frequently only one, but sometimes three flowers.’  [THS vol.1 p.364/1805-1812]. 

William Herbert demonstrated that it was a hybrid between Hermione, a form of Narcissus tazetta, and Narcissus poeticus.  [BR f.38/1843].

History at Camden Park

Listed only in the 1857 catalogue [B.336/1857].  Prior to its recent reintroduction I had not seen this plant in the gardens at Camden Park.  It is a shy flowerer in the district.  It readily offsets but only puts out blooms in a very good season.

Notes

Narcissus biflorus Gren. & Godr. = Narcissus pseudonarcissus L. which see.

Narcissus biflorus Schur (1866) = Narcissus poeticus subsp. radiiflorus (Salisb.) Baker which see.