Handbook of Nature-Study · Lesson CLI · Topic 23: Spring garden flowers
151. Daffodils, jonquils and narcissus
Goal: Your child finds the crown, the nectar and the seed-box of a daffodil and explains why we leave the leaves on after it blooms.
You'll need
- Nature notebook, pencil and colored pencils
- A hand lens (magnifying glass)
- Two or three daffodils (or narcissus)
- A small knife for the adult
- Garden gloves
What's in the book
A Teacher's Story with a picture of the paper-white narcissus and the lesson: Leading thought, Method and twelve questions, then a reading list.
The lesson, step by step
When and where
Daffodils bloom in early spring in gardens and window pots. Safety: every part of a daffodil is poisonous, especially the bulb, and the sap can make skin itch. Wear gloves to cut and handle them, keep bulbs away from small children and pets, and wash hands when you come in.
The leading thought
The daffodil, jonquil and narcissus are very closely related, and quite similar. They all come from bulbs which should be planted in September; but after the first planting, they will flower on year after year, bringing much brightness to the gardens in the early spring.
The crown
What does the central part of the flower look like? Why is it called the corona, or crown?
Look down into the crown of the flower and tell what you see. Can you see where the insect's tongue must go to reach the nectar?
Inside the trumpet
An adult slits one trumpet lengthwise with the knife.
Cut open a trumpet lengthwise to find where the nectar is. How far is it from the mouth of the tube? How long would the insect's tongue have to be to reach it?
The seed-box
What is the green swelling in the stem at the base of the trumpet? Is it connected with the style? Cut it across and describe what you see.
Under the lens you'll see three little rooms with tiny white seeds.
Gardener's questions
Why should you not cut the leaves off after the flowers have died? Why should you not let the seeds ripen?
Who was Narcissus, and why should these early spring flowers be named after him?
In the Greek story, Narcissus was a youth who fell in love with his own reflection in a pool. Daffodils often nod as if looking down at themselves.
Nature notebook
Draw a daffodil from the side and label sepals and petals (together they look alike), crown, and the green seed-box below.
Afterwards
In September, plant a few daffodil bulbs with an adult (gloves on). Comstock's questions 10 and 11 ask how deep and how far apart; look it up on the bulb package.
Answers to the book's problems
The leaves keep making food that goes down into the bulb for next year, so they should be left until they wither. Letting seeds ripen uses up food the bulb needs.
Worked out for this site from the scan. If a number in your copy differs, trust the book.