Blue Edged Sweet Pea

Comparing descriptions, rather than trusting to names, I found that 'Captain Clarke's Blue-edged' eventually came to be known simply as 'Captain Clarke'. 'Butterfly' was sometimes sold as 'Blue Edged', confusing it with Trevor-Clarke's "hybrid". I don't know how it came to be believed that Trevor-Clarke had used Lord Anson's pea in producing his sweet pea. I note, however, that Trevor-Clarke also attracted some small attention with his Blue Primrose.

Gardeners' Chronicle p. 791 (June 19, 1875)
I fear I cannot give your correspondent a clean pedigree for my blue Primrose. Some years ago I crossed a white-stalked Primrose, using the pollen of the old blue, which, though itself sterile, bears fertile pollen. The seedlings were violet, with a decided tinge of the blue, and preserving other resemblances to the pollen-parent. They were fertile, and produced many seedlings much like themselves; finally, they were mixed up with my general stock. Last year I sowed seed from the best of my lot, and the plant in question came up amongst them. It is just a case of old blood coming out after many generations, hardly to be called atavism, which is applied to another and distinct phenomenon in the animal kingdom. The plant is bearing seed. My new double is just the old double lilac on stilts, but with a larger and somewhat handsomer flower. I shall feel happy in corresponding with "J. M.," or in any way assisting him in such matters.—R. Trevor Clarke, Welton Place, near Daventry.

Perhaps someone mis-remembered this note, and unconsciously replaced "primrose" with "sweet pea", and "old blue" with "Lord Anson's Blue pea".

Proc. Roy. Hort. Soc. (1859)
Capt. Clarke's Blue-edged Sweet Pea:—from Messrs. Carter & Co. A light coloured pink-and-white Sweet Pea, faintly mottled and margined with blue.

Gardener's Monthly and Horticulturist 2 (Advertizer's Suppl) (1860)
Ad for Messrs. Hovey & Co.
March p. 3. CLARK'S NEW HYBRID SWEET PEA— upper petals delicate rose; lower white, with a dark blue eye [sic]. 25 cents.
Ad for R. Buist & Son
May p. 3. CAPTAIN CLARKE'S HYBRID SWEET PEA— Upper petals are of a delicate rose color, the lower white with deep blue edge. 25

The Horticulturist and Journal of Rural Art and Rural Taste 15: 6, 247 (May, 1860)
p. 6 CLARK'S NEW HYBRID SWEET PEA—Upper petals of the flowers clear rose-color, and the lower ones white, margined with blue. ......... 25 cents.
p. 247 CAPTAIN CLARKE'S NEW HYBRID SWEET PEA—This beautiful variety is the result of a cross between Painted Lady and Purple Sweet Pea, raised by Capt. Trevor Clarke, F.H.S., well known to the floricultural world as a successful hybridizer of plants; the upper petals are of a delicate rose color, and the lower white with a deep blue edge, .......... 25
Ad for B. K. Bliss, Springfield, Mass.

The New England Farmer 13: 151 (March 1861)
A hybrid sweet pea has been raised by an English florist, Capt. Clarke, being a cross between the "painted lady" and "purple sweet pea." This beautiful variety has upper petals of a delicate rose color, and the lower ones white, with a deep blue edge.

The Garden 6: 174 (August 22, 1874)
The Blue-edged Sweet Pea is a form of the purple, with a margin of blue to the wings; but its character is scarce fixed enough to be regarded as a permanent variety.

The Garden, 8: 166 (Aug. 21, 1875)
Sweet Peas.—I do not remember ever seeing these grow with more vigour and bloom more profusely than they have done this year. Invincible Scarlet, Captain Clarke, and The Queen ought to find a place in all collections. We have two short rows—one of Capt. Clarke and one of The Queen—with Nasturtiums intermixed, which have a very pretty effect.—R. Greenfield, Priory Gardens.

Wiener Illustirte Garten-Zeitung 8: 308 (July, 1883)
Lathyrus odoratus: Capitain Clarke, weiss mit Rosa und lilablau; Butterfly, blauer Anflug mit Weiss;

Garden and Forest 4(185): 428 (Sept. 9, 1891)
Captain Clarke, of which the newer strain deserves to be called Columbia, because it is red, white and blue

L. H. Bailey: Sweet Peas (1896)
    11. Blue Edged. (Vick's Sons.)
Good. Flowers large. Standard hooded, with two sinuses at the sides. Color, purple lilac. Bloom profuse. Evidently the same as Butterfly.
Began to bloom July 15.
Continued throughout the season.
At best July 29
    18. Butterfly. (Burpee.) Fig. 82.
Very good and dainty. Flowers medium size. Standard hooded, with two sinuses at the sides. Color, purple-lilac, one of the prettiest. Bloom profuse.
Began to bloom July 17.
Continued throughout the season.
Profuse from Aug. 5.
    19. Captain Clarke. (Burpee.)*
Poor quality, but prolific. Flowers small. Standard flat, stiff. Color, standard white merging into pink and purple, wings white with a purplish cast. Bloom profuse. Far from being beautiful.
Began to bloom July 16.
Continued throughout the season.
At best Aug. 5.

The Granite Monthly, 23: 80 (1897)
The Captain Clarke is a tri-colored sweet-pea, but it is not very pleasing in its color effect. The standard is tinged with a light tint of violet red, especially on the front surface, while the wings are white, edged with a tint of blue violet. The flowers are rather small, with flat standards, but the plant blooms profusely.

Gardeners' Chronicle, 21: 160 (March 6, 1897)
In 1837 I notice Mr. Carter offers a similar list, with a striped form added; whilst in 1850 he includes "new large-flowered." In 1860 he gives nine varieties and a yellow-flowered one, and also blue-edged, to which the Royal Horticultural Society gave a First-class Certificate many years later. On August 22, 1883, this novelty was first named Blue Hybrid, and it was understood to have been a true hybrid between the annual white Sweet Pea and the perennial Lord Anson's Blue, now almost lost to cultivation. It was the outcome of a series of experiments made with the object of raising a real blue flowered variety by Col. Trevor Clarke of Daventry.

Rhode Island Bd. of Agric. (1897)
In 1837 James Carter, Holborn, London, quoted in his catalogue, black, painted lady, purple, scarlet, white, striped and yellow. This brings us to the renaissance of the sweet pea. Although in my visit to England in 1895 I endeavored to get from the older seed houses the dates of the introduction of the first improved sorts, and such new colors as had begun to appear, I am very willing to trust Mr. Dicks' data, for his opportunity to make a thorough search is unequalled. He says the blue edged variety was offered by James Carter in 1860, although in 1883 this variety was named blue hybrid, and was thought to be a true cross between the white sweet pea and Lord Anson's blue, and was the outcome of a series of experiments made by Colonel Trevor Clarke, of Daventry. Butterfly, as offered by Sutton in 1880, was practically identical with this.
    Mr. Dicks and I agree on the introduction of invincible scarlet in 1865, a first-class certificate being awarded to Stephen Brown, of Sudbury. Carter put it out. In 1867 an improved purple called Imperial Purple was offered. Mr. Dicks traced the introduction of Crown Princess of Prussia to Haage & Schmidt, 1868-1869. This was the beginning of the soft pink varieties. The Carters told me they put out Violet Queen in 1877. Haage & Schmidt offered Fairy Queen in 1873-74 (as per Mr. Dicks) and also Lilacine Splendens, which they claimed to be superior to Capt. Clarke, but the latter has held the field.

Trans. Mass. Hort. Soc. p. 50 (1898)
Carter put out the names Invincible Black and Invincible Scarlet Striped about 1880. Soon followed Lilacina Splendens. now a doubtful variety, although we still have the name Splendid Lilac. I suspect this latter is what more commonly became the Captain Clarke.

Gardeners' Chronicle, 28(708): 50 (July 21, 1900)
From that time till 1860 little seems to have been done till the last-named year, when a blue-edged variety was brought out, and said to have been a true cross between the annual white Sweet Pea and the perennial Lord Anson's blue. Were it not that the name of Col. Trevor Clarke is mentioned as the raiser, we should not have attached much importance to the statement. It is not mentioned in Dr. Focke's standard book on Hybridisation. [CybeRose note: Focke did discuss Darwin's cross, detailed below.]

D B Crane, The Book of the Sweet Pea (1910)
Reverting to 1860 we find a blue-edged variety was offered by Mr James Carter to which the Royal Horticultural Society gave a First Class Certificate at a later date. Twenty-three years later (1883) this same variety was first named Blue Hybrid. It was understood to be a true hybrid between the perennial Lord Anson's Blue and the annual white Sweet Pea. It was one of a series of experiments that were made, with the definite object of procuring a real blue-flowered kind, by Colonel Trevor Clarke of Daventry. Not the least interesting fact in this connection is that Butterfly, offered by Messrs Sutton & Sons, in 1880, is practically identical with this variety. [CybeRose note: According to the earlier reports, Clarke's plant had flowers quite different from Butterfly.]

*See color plate in The Garden, 13 (1878), p. 44. PLATE CX. NEW SWEET PEA—BUTTERFLY. Drawn by H. NOEL HUMPHREYS. This beautiful variety was raised in Messrs. Sutton & Son's seed grounds at Reading. Its flowers, as will be seen, have a pure white ground, delicately laced with lavender-blue, tints which contrast admirably with the scarlet, black, rose, white, and other colours to be found in Sweet Peas already in cultivation. It therefore supplies a want hitherto existing in this favourite class of hardy, sweet-scented, climbing annuals. It possesses the same robust habit as the older varieties, and has proved itself to be perfectly true to colour and character. The annexed plate scarcely does justice to this Pea, owing to the difficulty experienced in giving to the flowers that softness and delicacy which they naturally possess. Vigorous plants of it sent us by Messrs. Sutton were covered with flowers, of which the plate gives only a faint idea, the flower being one consisting of neutral tints very difficult to render in colour printing. From having seen the plant, however, on several occasions, we may say that it is an annual of exceptional merit, and worthy of a place in every garden. It would deserve also what Sweet Peas so often do not get— good culture and a good position.

Beal: Sweet Pea Studies (1912)
The variety Blue Edged, the probable forerunner of the picotee forms, appeared in 1860. This was a white variety with a well-defined blue edge, a possible hybrid between L. Magellanicus and a white variety of L. odoratus. The variety, at all events, was the first to exhibit a distinct blue color among sweet peas. Later it was known as Blue Hybrid, under which name it won an award from the Royal Horticultural Society. Sutton & Son sent out Butterfly* in 1878, which somewhat resembled Blue Edged. The so-called "blues" that followed were Invincible Blue, Madame Carnot or Imperial Blue, and Captain of the Blues, all of which had considerable red in the standard. It was not until 1899 that a good blue appeared, in Navy Blue (Lord Nelson).

Annual Report, New York (State) Dept. of Agriculture 2(1): 687 (1912)
In 1860 Mr. Carter offered nine varieties, besides a yellow-flowered variety and the variety Blue Edged. The last-named variety was white, with a well-marked blue edge, and it was stated that it was the result of many experiments made by Major Trevor Clarke, of Daventry, in crossing a pure white sweet pea with the perennial bright-blue-flowered Lord Anson's pea, L. Magellanicus. Later, in 1883, under the name "Blue Hybrid," this variety received the First Class Certificate of the Royal Horticultural Society.

Gardeners' Chronicle of America 16(9): 570 (July, 1913)
The lesson is that if the grower does not intend to comply with the requirements of the improved types, it is better to grow Butterfly, Captain Clarke, Peach Blossom, and other small-flowered, precocious varieties.

Beal: Sweet-pea Studies (1914)
BLUE EDGED
    Originated by Major Trevor Clarke. Introduced by Carter, 1860.
    Synonyms — Blue Hybrid was probably identical.
    Remarks — This variety is given in the Sweet Pea Annual, and in Sweet Peas Up to Date (edition of 1910), as first introduced in 1883. This is an error of date. The variety was catalogued by Vick as early as 1872, if not earlier. The first of the picotee-edged blues.
CAPTAIN CLARKE
    Originated by ————— Introduced by C. Sharpe & Co.
    Description in brief — White-edged and penciled with carmine; wings edged with blue.
    Description in detail — Color of standard shaded violet-rose 154 (2-3) on a lilacy white 7 (4) ground; wings lilacy white, shaded lilac-mauve 196 (1). Flower small, open form; standard small, flat, with notched top; wings short and broad, partly open. Flowers two to three, usually three, equidistant on medium stems. Moderately fragrant. Bloom profuse. Plant of tall, healthy growth. Leaflets broad, pointed; tendrils green.
    Remarks —Formerly known also under name "Tricolor." Columbia, another tricolor variety, is striped. Offered by Breck in 1885.
BUTTERFLY
    Originated by ————— Introduced by Sutton, 1878.
    Donated by Morse, for evolution studies.
    Description in brief— White, tinted purple and edged with blue.
    Description in detail — Color of standard and wings edged lobelia blue 205 (1-2) on a purplish-tinted ground 6 (3-4). Flower small to medium size, hooded form; standard small to medium size, hooded, with notched sides; wings short and broad.
Flowers two to three on stems. Very fragrant. Bloom profuse. Plant of tall, strong, healthy growth. Leaflets narrow, pointed; tendrils green.
    Comparison — Butterfly, Maid of Honor, and Lottie Eckford vary in the amount of coloring distributed in the flower.
    Remarks — One of the most important varieties ever grown.

There is more than a little confusion as to the identity and proper name of Lord Anson's Blue Pea.. Here are three possibilities that have been mentioned.

Lathyrus magellanicus
http://www.lathyrus.info/species/magellanicus.html

Lathyrus nervosus
http://www.lathyrus.info/species/nervosus.html

Lathyrus sativus (blue form)
http://www.tradewindsfruit.com/vegetables/azure_blue_sweet_pea.htm

Gardening Illustrated 21-372 (Sept. 16, 1899)
L. Magellanicus, from the Straits of Magellan, is known by the name of Lord Anson's Blue Pea. The species is said to have been originally introduced by the cook of H.M.S. Centurion, of which ship Lord Anson was captain, in 1744, and bears flowers of a beautiful blue tint. It is a perennial species, but at the present date is apparently lost to cultivation. L. Armitageanus is sometimes sold for it, but more often would-be purchasers are put off with a blue variety of L. sativus.

Mrs. Loudon (1843) lists L. Armitageanus as a synonym for L. magellanicus, whereas Cree (1829) identifies L. sativa as Lord Anson's Pea.

Firminger: A Manual of gardening for Bengal and upper India (1874)
2. L. Magellanicus—Lord Anson's Pea.—Between this and a common weed in Bengal, which bears small bright blue flowers, there seems to be scarcely a perceptible difference.

It is interesting to note that in the 1860s, the hybrid was supposed to have been between Painted Lady and the Purple (now called Cupani). Darwin did cross the two, and the results are not too dissimilar from early descriptions of Clarke's variety.

Darwin: Variation of Animals and Plants 2: 93
I fertilised the purple sweet-pea (Lathyrus odoratus), which has a dark reddish-purple standard-petal and violet-coloured wings and keel, with pollen of the painted-lady sweet-pea, which has a pale cherry-coloured standard, and almost white wings and keel; and from the same pod I twice raised plants perfectly resembling both sorts; the greater number resembling the father. So perfect was the resemblance, that I should have thought there had been some mistake, if the plants which were at first identical with the paternal variety, namely, the painted-lady, had not later in the season produced, as mentioned in a former chapter, flowers blotched and streaked with dark purple. I raised grandchildren and great-grandchildren from these crossed plants, and they continued to resemble the painted-lady, but during the later generations became rather more blotched with purple, yet none reverted completely to the original mother-plant, the purple sweet-pea.

Darwin: Effects of Cross and Self Fertilisation (1877)
In order to ascertain what would be the effect of crossing two varieties, some flowers on the Purple sweet-pea, which has a dark reddish-purple standard-petal with violet-coloured wing-petals and keel, were castrated whilst very young, and were fertilised with pollen of the Painted Lady. This latter variety has a pale cherry-coloured standard, with almost white wings and keel. On two occasions I raised from a flower thus crossed plants perfectly resembling both parent-forms; but the greater number resembled the paternal variety. So perfect was tho resemblance, that I should have suspected some mistake in the label, had not the plants, which were at first identical in appearance with the father or Painted Lady, later in the season produced flowers blotched and streaked with dark purple. This is an interesting example of partial reversion in the same individual plant as it grows older. The purple-flowered plants were thrown away, as they might possibly have been the product of the accidental self-fertilisation of the mother-plant, owing to the castration not having been effectual. But the plants which resembled in the colour of their flowers the paternal variety or Painted Lady were preserved, and their seeds saved. Next summer many plants were raised from these seeds, and they generally resembled their grandfather the Painted Lady, but most of them had their wing-petals streaked and stained with dark pink; and a few had pale purple wings with the standard of a darker crimson than is natural to the Painted Lady, so that they formed a new sub-variety. Amongst these plants a single one appeared having purple flowers like those of the grandmother, but with the petals slightly streaked with a paler tint: this was thrown away. Seeds were again saved from the foregoing plants, and the seedlings thus raised still resembled the Painted Lady, or great-grandfather; but they now varied much, the standard petal varying from pale to dark red, in a few instances with blotches of white; and the wing-petals varied from nearly white to purple, the keel being in all nearly white.
     ....Another variety, however, is often sold, which is striped and blotched with dark purple; and this is probably of crossed origin, for I found, as well as Mr. Masters, that it did not transmit its characters at all truly.

Darwin: Effects of Cross and Self-Fertilisation
But some flowers of the Painted Lady, castrated at an early age, were fertilised with pollen from the Purple sweet-pea; and it should be remembered that these varieties differ in nothing except in the colour of their flowers. The cross was manifestly effectual (though only two seeds were obtained), as was shown by the two seedlings, when they flowered, closely resembling their father, the Purple pea, excepting that they were a little lighter coloured, with their keels slightly streaked with pale purple.

According to Henry Phillips (1824), "Linnaeus tells us that the common dark variety is a native of Sicily, and that the more delicate-coloured kind, which is distinguished by the name of the Painted Lady, is an indigenous plant of Ceylon. These two kinds have lately been blended by the art of the florist, or by accidental impregnation, and have produced a variety with striped petals."

This seems to confirm what Darwin (Variations) wrote: "Vilmorin²¹ has also recorded several cases with plants derived from seed, of flowers reverting by stripes or blotches to their primitive colours: he states that in all such cases a white or pale-coloured variety must first be formed, and, when this is propagated for a length of time by seed, striped seedlings occasionally make their appearance; and these can afterwards by care be multiplied by seed."

I have learned that the standard or banner of the Purple has about 4 times as much pigment as the wings; but the wings have about 6 times the co-pigment. This explains why the Purple is two-colored rather than merely two-toned. The Scarlet appears to differ from the Purple by the loss of co-pigment. Thus, the difference in pigment density is clearly shown. The Painted Lady differs from the Scarlet by a general reduction in pigment, leaving the banner pink, and the wings white and faint pink.

When the Painted Lady is back-crossed to the ancestral Purple, the addition of co-pigment to the Painted Lady pigmentation gives a darker rose colored standard, with "blue" tinged wings.

Lord Anson's Pea, from Mrs Loudon (1843)

In the colored plate the center flower is known as Scarlet. In this it may be noticed that the petals forming the keel are white, the wings rose-colored, and the banner scarlet. At the right of this center flower is one with white keel and very dark crimson wings and banner, this variety in the trade is called Black. Directly underneath the last mentioned one is what is known as Blue Edged. Above the center flower, Scarlet, is one with white keel and white wings and a rose-colored banner; this is Painted Lady. At the upper left-hand corner of the group is Scarlet Invincible, having a white keel and scarlet wings and banner. (From Vick's Illustrated Magazine, March 1882)

Purple	Scarlet	Painted Lady	Capt. Clarke ?
Scarlet Invincible	Black	Blue Edged	Columbia ?
		Butterfly