REPLY: [pbs] Narcissus 'Quince'

DaveKarn@aol.com DaveKarn@aol.com
Wed, 14 Apr 2004 06:21:15 PDT
In a message dated 13-Apr-04 4:44:40 PM Pacific Daylight Time, 
totototo@pacificcoast.net writes:

> Does anyone know of a source for healthy 'Quince'? It's a nice plant that 
> I'd like to enjoy for more than one year.
> 

All daffodils in commerce are infected with one, or more, of the viruses 
known to infect the genus Narcissus.  For most people, this is irrelevant, whether 
in a garden setting or forced for Winter bloom.  For others, however, concern 
ranges from "some" to anathema!  See THE DAFFODIL JOURNAL, March 2004, for an 
article on the incidence of virus in the genus Narcissus.

Often, as in the case of the virused 'Quince' Rodger mentioned, the infection 
can be severe.  And, as with all viruses, there is no cure and the best thing 
to do is dump the bulbs into the trash.  The narcissus yellow stripe virus is 
a potyvirus and, as such, the most virulent type and one easily spread by 
mechanical means, e.g., cutting a daffodil stem or bulb with a knife not 
sterilized between cuts, etc.  Meristem culture has, on occasion, been employed to 
"clean-up" some of the older clones hopelessly infected.  It has been done for 
economic reasons, e.g., the clone Grand Soleil d'Or long grown for "cut" flowers 
in England is one such.  'Tete-a-Tete' and 'Jumblie' or 'Quince' might also 
be good candidates for the process.  These three daffodils, particularly the 
former, make really fine pot plants and millions are grown for that purpose each 
year.  While I would dearly love to make a cross similar to the one that 
produced these three daffodils, the parent plant, 'Cyclataz,' is impossible to 
find.

Dave Karnstedt
Silverton, Oregon, USA
Cool Mediterranean climate; USDA Zone 7-8


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