Description
The basic concept of Tecophilaea cyanocrocus leichtlinii is pastel-blue petals with a white throat. The amounts of blue and white will, and do, vary, within leichtlinii. There isn’t a “true form” as it is a name for a variable variety (and NOT a clone). Almost all of the forms of Tecophilaea in commerce are brought on, or have been brought on, from seed. I stress again that there is some variability within the name, since leichtlinii is not clonal, though the colouring is a continuous spectrum, within quite close limits.
There is a great deal of variability evident when leichtlinii is raised from seed and from such seedlings, Ian Young has raised much several, paler seedlings and named one lovely one as Craighton Snowdrift. This has almost entirely white flowers with a tiny star of indigo lines in the depths of the throat, and white petals which are infused with the subtlest tint of pale blue-indigo just at the petal tips. The colouration is more noticeable on the outer three petals. The inner three have just a little hint or diffuse line of blue on the petal tips.
A lovely new addition to the range of named forms.
Though much trumpeted, the parent species is no longer thought to be extinct in the wild, as it was re-found close to Santiago some 20 years ago and has been found in further locations since. In the words of the late Jim Archibald addressing the form leichtlinii “It is interesting to note that the entire colony of this species, recently discovered not far from Santiago, is reported as approximating most closely to this colour phase, so maybe this is more typical of the species than the one regarded as the type-form”
Added to our lists January 2023
