Types of Daffodils

Just what do those letters and numbers mean??

Classifications

The many different daffodil types are grouped into the following classifications, called ‘divisions’.

Division    1    Trumpet (cup longer than petals at tip, one flower to stem)

              2    Large Cup  (cup less than petal tip and greater than one third, one flower to stem)

              3    Small Cup  (cup less than one third petal length, one flower to stem)

              4    Double  (doubling of perianth and/or cup segments, one or more flowers to stem)

              5    Triandrus (characteristics of N. triandrus, one or more dainty, drooping bell-like flowers, reflexed petals)

              6    Cyclamineus (characteristics of N. cyclamineus, one flower to stem, petals reflexed)

              7    Jonquilla (characteristics of N. jonquilla species, sub-species, one to five flowers to stem, usually fragrant)

              8    Tazetta (characteristics of N. tazetta species, sub-species, usually 3 to 20 flowers to stem, usually fragrant)

              9    Poeticus (characteristics of N. poeticus species, sub-species (pheasant’s eye type), one flower to stem, petals pure white, cup very short, usually green eye, yellow centre, red rim, often fragrant)

             10   Bulbicodium cultivars (characteristics of bulbicodium species (hooped petticoat type), usually one flower to stem, petals insignificant compared to the dominant corona)

             11   Collar and Split Corona daffodils (corona split usually for more than half its length)

             12   Other Daffodil Cultivars – those that don’t fit anywhere else!

             13   Species – distinguished solely by botanical name

Colour Codes 

                             W      White

                             G        Green (usually eye zone)

                             Y        Yellow

                             P        Pink

                             O        Orange

                             R        Red

So Danger 2YR is a large cup with yellow perianth and a red cup (see photo above). 

Sometimes daffodils combine several distinct colours.  Colour is described with the petal code first, beginning at the tip in to junction with cup, followed by cup code beginning at centre of cup to outer edge.  Where more than one colour exists in petal or cup, the description is separated by a hyphen -

So Bandit 2W-YYO is a large cup with white perianth and a yellow cup with orange outer band (see photo at right)