Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Amaryllidaceae
Tribe: Narcisseae
Genus: Narcissus
Species: Many
Common names: Jonquils, Tazetta daffodils
The bulbs and stems are poisonous.
The genus Narcissus divided is into twelve divisions or classes, covering both daffodils and what we call jonquils. The jonquils are classified as 'Tazetta daffodils', with clusters of small cupped flowers on each stem (Height 30-40cm), which appear in winter in our New Plymouth climate.
Jonquils are flowering bulbs in the Amaryllis family. They are closely related to daffodils, and in some parts of the world, people may refer generically to all daffodils as jonquils, although this usage is not appreciated by professional horticultural organizations. Many people are fond of jonquils because they are typically among the first flowers to bloom in the spring, and they have a rich aroma.
Specifically, a jonquil is any cultivar of Narcissus jonquilla. These plants are characterized by very long, narrow leaves and small flowers which appear in clusters of two to eight on long, tubular stems. The flowers themselves have central tubes surrounded by a small ruffle of petals. They can be white, yellow, creamy, red, peach, or orange in colour, and some jonquils actually combine multiple colours for a very distinctive look.
The aroma of jonquils is difficult to describe. It is quite strong, but not usually overwhelming, and it makes it very easy to identify these flowers in the garden, even when a planting is relatively small. Some people also like to use jonquils as cut flowers in the home, while perfume manufacturers extract essential oils from them for the purpose of making rich floral scents. Many plants in the Narcissus genus possess this distinctive odour to some degree.
Jonquil is also a name of a tone of yellow. It takes its name from genus Narcissus. The first recorded use of jonquil as a colour name in English was in 1789.
These jonquils were planted NPDC Parks Dept in the 1970's at Adams Point ( Photographed late July)
Thanks to Wikipedia for text and information: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
