Description
(Leopoldia neumannii)
A new species, described in 2017 from vegetatively propagated material first discovered, in the Epirus mountains of Greece, by Michael Neumann in August 2003. Our stock was propagated vegetatively, by Michael, from this original discovery. The plants, which we now propagate from ourselves, were found at what became the type locality, before the species was even named. It simply isn’t possible for this to be more genuine!
The flower spike itself can be as much as 32cm long (that is 12 inches in old money), held on a stem, which is just as long, the whole being capable, at the end of flowering of being close to a metre tall and reaching to an average waist, in height. It is dark green at the base, violet at the apex. The overall impression of the colour of the freshly opened flowers is deep violet, the older flowers are cream-green in the tubular segment towards the mouth, with minute yellow lobes. They are stained with bronze at the shoulders and base. At the top of the spike, the tassel of sterile flowers which terminates the flower spike is also light violet to darker shades of violet and even deep blue-violet. It is worth noting that this “sterile tuft” is much less differentiated from the rest of the spike in M. neumannii than in any other Muscari/Leopoldia species.
Muscari neumannii is distinguished from all other Muscari (in its widest sense, so that this includes all other Leopoldia) species by its overall size, which is considerably more than the 50cm tall limit, used to define or separate some species. It also differs from other species in its remarkably larger inflorescence, as well as in its bulb size. The bulbs can naturally reach 5cm in diameter in the wild, with good cultivation they have reached 7.5cm across and exceptional individuals, with their bulblets still in place under the bulb tunics, have made 10cm across.
It differs from M. comosum (the morphologically closest species) in having bulbs twice as large and in forming bulblets, whereas M. comosum never forms bulblets. In M. neumannii the leaves (5-7 in number) are longer, hanging and the hooded apex is always wilted before reaching maturity. The leaves themselves are flat, linear and are not channelled in any way, whereas in M. comosum the more erect leaves are shorter and usually do not wilt at the apex. With us this species starts into leaf very early in the season, usually in July, way ahead of most of our other Muscari species and our Mediterranean bulbs generally. In cultivation it can, with the benefit of off-seaso0n watering, remain virtually evergreen.
The fertile flowers of M. neumannii are cylindric and cream-brown, whereas in M. comosum they are bell-shaped and darker brown on the tube. In M. neumannii the pedicels are shorter and slightly hanging, forming a cylindric raceme, whereas in L. comosa the longer pedicels of the lower sterile flowers form a pseudo-umbellate termination of the raceme.
Flowering is in May (June) with seed set in June and July as the new leaves are emerging. However whilst L. neumannii multiplies vegetatively quite well, the germination rate of the seed is very low. Growth is easy in a well-drained, loam-based compost with a free root run, in full sun, though you may wish to keep this in a pot under frost-free glass (it is fully hardy here but dislikes being frozen through – in common with most Mediterranean bulbs). Dry in summer but best undisturbed. Good feeding will ensure strong growth and offset production.
First offered in our lists in April 2018, the first time this species has been offered anywhere.
