Description
‘Leedsii’ [or ‘Superbus’?] (Leedsii)
2W-W (incorrectly classified as 3W-W)
[Leedsii 4b]
(Leeds, E., pre-1877)
“A remarkable flower; perianth white, and somewhat starry; cup lemon, changing to white. This Daffodil is not to be confounded with Leedsii Incomparabilis”. This entry, for ‘Leedsii’ (Leedsii), in the 1885 catalogue issued by the Irish nurseryman, W.B. Hartland, is spot on. This is the eponymous hybrid which gave its name to the most beautiful Division of daffodils, with white perianths and soft-coloured cups of white, cream, or pale shades of citron, apricot, buff or pink. The slender perianth segments are long and spreading and flick back jauntily. The slightly flared corona is much pleated; the rim lightly ruffled with uneven crenations. These days we find that several Leedsiis, including ‘White Lady’ and ‘Leedsii’, retain more colouring in the cup than expected: I should love to describe the corona as pale Dresden yellow on opening, passing off to milk-white at maturity, but here the corona refuses to become paler than soft primrose. A slender plant of slightly below average height; flowering mid-season. [‘Superbus’ was said to have a more dog-eared perianth but, without more archive illustrations, is currently proving very hard to distinguish.]
