Tulipa sylvestris

Judy Glattstein jglatt@ptd.net
Fri, 07 May 2004 14:28:38 PDT
To Dell and all others who might be interested -
My understanding is that there are two clones of Tulipa sylvestris out
there. Both ramble around, one flowers freely, the other does not. Flowers
nod in a graceful manner, and the outer tepals curl back at the tips,
reminding me of an illumination in the margins of a medieval manuscript.
Mine came from a friend's garden. The one Helen had was the rambling, sparse
flowering variety. I've seen this tulip in a private garden in Holland,
flowering en masse. The owner said that area was regularly dug over and
disturbed, not specifically with the tulips in mind. However, she attributed
the freely flowering aspect to the disturbance.

The 1996 Classified List and International Register of Tulip Names mentions:

T. sylvestris, described in 1753, from West Africa, Europe, Asia Minor, N.W.
Iran, clear bright yellow within, exterior yellow, back of tepals greenish,
sweet scented.

T. sylvestris var.. major "a large form with 8 tepals, and

T. sylvestris 'Tabriz Variety' lemon yellow, exterior green, sweetly
scented, introduced by Van Tubergen from Iran in 1933

To add to the merriment there's also Tulipa biebersteiniana, described in
1829 from the Crimea, Lower Wolga (no, that's not my typo, don't know about
the Classified List) Caucasus, Aralo-Caspian region, lake Balkhash are.
Which, apparently, some authorities regard as a synonym of sylvestris.

I would surely like to have a clone that flowers more freely. At the same
time, I'd never discard the one I have, as my friend died about 18 months
ago and this is a sweet reminder of a sweet lady, good friend, and fine
gardener.

And now back out into the garden to play before the rains return.

Judy in new jersey where the arisaema are flaunting their bizarre spathes/
spadix (spadices?) and the Arisarum proboscoideum is ready to display its
little mouse-tails.


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