The daffodil is also known as Jonquil, Narcissus, Paperwhite and the 'Poet's Hower'. The name of the species is Narcissus, every daffodil is a narcissus but not all narcissi (plural of narcissus) are daffodils. Narcissus is the botanical name for the genus. The name 'daffodil' is generally used for single, trumpet-shaped flowers.
The name 'Narcissus' comes from the Greek mythology. A nymph, fell in love with the Greek youth Narcissus who loved only himself and therefore rejected her. She died of a broken heart. Narcissus liked to see his reflection in a pool of water, stood there and admiring his beauty. The gods were then angry with him and changed Narcissus into a flower and named after him - the Narcissus flower.
Flower
The flower has six petals arranged in a star shape with a central trumpet facing out. Stems of single flowers are 30 - 50 cm (12 - 20 inches) long, multi-flowered stems are normally shorter. They vary in size and color depending on the variety. There are over 25,000 varieties of narcissus in shades of yellow, white, peachy pink, orange, and bicolor. Many daffodil flowers are fragrant.
Daffodil was cultivated in Roman times, they brought daffodil bulbs to Britain. Daffodils are native to south western Europe and have been used medicinally for centuries. In Europe narcissi are grown commercially in the Channel Islands, Great Britain, Isles of Scilly and Holland.
It is important to note that the bulb of daffodil is toxic and can be very dangerous especially when eaten. Many florists get daffodil itch: dryness, scaliness and fissures on the hands and thickness under the nails due to its calcium oxalate in the sap. In may 2009, it was reported that during a cooking class at school, a number of students in England fell ill after mistaking a bulb of daffodil for an onion and adding it to soup. The kids were then taken to hospital as a precautionary measure, and were soon allowed to return home.
Daffodil Flower Information and Facts
Daffodil or narcissus is regarded as the March birth flower and aquamarine is the March birthstone for those born in the month of March.