DANCING SUMMERBIRD (King-Lamone 1998)
One of my first introductions after nearly 10
years of crosses, this flower embodies still what I look for in Crispatas,
especially in the Butterfly Crispata. It has extreme spatulate segments
and well-quilled sepal bases.
Nocturnal, Early Midseason - Midseason, DORMANT,
Very Fragrant, 6.5in flowers, Unusual Form Spatulate Crispata, vigorous
increase after getting established. Straight and strong scapes, pod and
pollen fertile but not always easy. I thought for a few years now that DANCING
SUMMERBIRD only produced top-branched scpaes until I left it undisturbed
for two years in the rich, moisture-retentive soil of the nursery. The clump
burst into bloom wih numerous 2 and 3-way branched scapes and bloomed en
masse! The soft lilac-lavender colour is richer in cooler weather and may
need some afternoon shade in areas of intense sunshine. The throat stays
green in cooler climates; it lightens to a charteuse yellow in 90F degree
heat.
This flower form captures everything that I've
hoped for in crosses for the rare "Butterfly" crispation pattern.
Rosemary Whitacre, upon reviewing watercolour sketches I made in the late
1980's referred to my "dream flower" as "The Butterfly".
She made suggestions as to how to achieve this extreme spatulate form with
both sepal and petal quilling at the base of the segments. Many crosses
were made and ca. 10 years later this flower bloomed.
It is one of many seedlings I have from GOLLIWOG
x ASTERISK, nearly all of which are crispate in some fashion, but none of
the others have this extreme spatulate form with very small closures (the
distance across the junction of tepals, the heart of the flower) and good
substance with the Butterfly Crispation pattern. Pollen is of questionable
fertility, giving seedlings only with particular parents, pod fertility
is good if treated as a nocturnal. I hope to see the next generation this
summer (1999) to see if I got some branching with this flower form. Closest
to this form is its sibling (sdlng GOLLAST = Fairy Summerbird), which see.
