Narcissus Species Key

Key to Species of Narcissus Typically Encountered in the Arkansas Flora as Naturalized or Persisting From Cultivation

Please keep in mind that the following key should only be used with plants that are regularly encountered as naturalized or persisting from cultivation. Many of the modern cultivars and hybrids commonly found in cultivation will not key properly in this key, or if used, may cause an identification error.

1. Corona not cuplike or tubular, but instead, dissected into numerous segments; often most or all
of the stamens sterile and petaloid—flowers "doubled"; plants sterile
  2. Leaves essentially terete; ovary sometimes appearing absent; flowers small, less than 3 cm
  wide, bright lemon yellow and fragrant....................................................................................................N. jonquilla
  2. Leaves flat; ovary usually present; flowers large, 3.5 or more cm wide, green to yellow–green
  or cream and pale to bright yellow, often with some portions orange
    3. Flowers 3 cm or less in diameter......................................................................................................N. tazetta 
    3. Flowers 3.5 cm or more in diameter
      4. Flowers green maturing to yellow–green, segments of the corona
      yellow........................................................................................................................................ .....N. pseudonarcissus 
      4. Flowers cream and orange or cream–yellow and orange, segments of the corona
      orange...........................................................................................................................................N. Xincomparabilis
1. Corona cuplike or tubular; stamens functional with typical anthers and filaments present—not
petaloid; plants fertile, or sterile hybrids
  5. Leaves narrow, less than 1 cm wide, terete, or subterete with a hollow or open channel along
  the leaf most or all of its length, or leaves grasslike and flattened on one side
    6. Perianth segments linear, or narrowly elliptic to lanceolate and deflexed away from the
    corona; leaves 3 mm or less wide (usually 1–2 mm wide)
      7. Perianth segments linear; cultivated in Arkansas and naturalized in
      Louisiana..........................................................................................................................................N. bulbocodium
      7. Perianth segments narrowly elliptic to lanceolate, deflexed away
      from corona.......................................................................................................................................N. triandrus 
    6. Perianth segments much wider; leaves 3 mm wide or wider
      8. Leaves flattened on the adaxial surface............................................................................................N. Xtenuior 
      8. Leaves terete, or with a channel or furrow along some portion of the length of the adaxial
      surface, especially toward the base, abaxial surface rounded
        9. Flowers (3.4)3.5 cm wide or wider; perianth segments lanceolate–elliptic or oblong–
        elliptic, or rotund or broadly elliptic, if rotund or broadly elliptic, than typically with dark
        yellow and pale yellow to cream coloration on the segments
          10. Perianth segments narrowly elliptic to lanceolate–elliptic, uniformly yellow, typically less
          than 1.5 cm wide; flowers occasionally with only 3–5 perianth segments present; leaves
          generally 5 mm or less wide; (commonly encountered taxon).............................................................N. Xodorus
          10. Perianth segments broadly elliptic to subrotund, two–toned with dark yellow and whitish
          to cream coloration on the same segment, segments typically 1.5 cm wide or wider;
          leaves generally 5 mm wide or wider (occasionally
          encountered).................................................................................................................................Narcissus sp.  
        9. Flowers 1–3 cm in diameter; perianth segments rotund or broadly elliptic to ovate, about
        as long as wide
          11. Perianth and corona essentially concolorous; bright yellow or golden–yellow, ccasionally
          corona slightly darker than perianth; perianth segments with the margins not folded or
          curved; leaves essentially terete......................................................................................................N. jonquilla
            11. Perianth yellow, pale yellow, or cream–colored, corona orange or yellow, always darker
            than the perianth; leaves somewhat channeled or furrowed, or flattened on the adaxial
            surface, at least toward the base
              12. At least some of the perianth segments with the margins folded or curved inward; 
              corona generally deep yellow to orange–yellow; leaves rounded with an obvious
              channel or furrow on the adaxial surface.......................................................................................N. Xintermedius
              12. Perianth segments without the margins folded inward, segments pale yellow to almost
              white; corona lemon yellow; leaves flattened adaxially...................................................................N. Xtenuior
  5. Leaves flat, generally 1 cm wide or wider
    13. Corona as long or longer than the perianth segments; yellow and white–flowered forms
    occur in the flora..................................................................................................................................N. pseudonarcissus
    13. Corona shorter than the perianth segments
      14. Flowers 4–8 per umbel, 2 cm or less in diameter, strongly fragrant
        15. Corona cream, yellow, or orange in color......................................................................................N. tazetta
        15. Corona white..............................................................................................................................N. papyraceus
      14. Flowers 1–3(4) per umbel, 2.5 cm in diameter or more, some to no odor
        16. Corona margin red and sometimes scarious, rarely lacking the red pigmentation and
        margin only scarious........................................................................................................................N. poeticus
        16. Corona without a red margin
          17. Flowers solitary, yellow (rarely white), (4.5) 5 cm or more in diameter, if perianth
          segments completely white, then without yellow coloration on the perianth, corona 1 cm
          long or longer; leaves glaucous.......................................................................................................N. Xincomparabilis
          17. Flowers usually 2 per inflorescence, occasionally 1, 3, or 4, white, 5 cm or less in
          diameter, perianth segments usually with a small amount of yellow coloration at the base
          adjacent to corona, corona yellow, much less than 1 cm long; leaves green or glaucous–
          green to green...............................................................................................................................N. Xmedioluteus