Attached a pic of Crocosmia x crocosmiiflora 'Prometheus'; well that's what professes to be called anyway. With so many lost to cultivation nomenclature isn't easy.

Anyway it's a fine Crocosmia and if the naming is correct the following information applies. Flowers are a little smaller than its description states.

PROMETHEUS
Award of Merit, Royal Horticultural Society, London, August 1st, 1905.
First Class Certificate, Shrewsbury, August, 1905.
First Class Certificate, Edinburgh International Exhibition, September, 1905.

The finest Montbretia ever offered, very large flowered and an exceptionally vigourous grower. We strongly recommend this magnificent novelty. 3/6 each. Six for 19/-, 36/-doz.

'This must be regarded as the finest Montbretia yet raised, for not only has it large and brilliant flowers, but it grows with remarkable vigour, and flowers with a freedom that is sure to make it popular. The plants shown were three feet six inches high, and the spikes were freely branched. Each flower measured three and a quarter to three and a half inches across, and was of a rich orange colour, flushed and stained with crimson at the centre. Award of Merit, August 1st.'
Reference: Gardener's Magazine, August 12th, 1905.

'Prometheus' was bred by George Davison at Westwick Hall, Norfolk, UK. George was head gardener for Col. Petre who owned the hall. He bred Crocosmia, or should we say Montbretia from 1895 to 1913. He was primarily interested in breeding large flowered 'hardy' Montbretia for garden use, he succeeded; and if it wasn't for his hybrids we wouldn't have had the even larger flowered Earlham Strain.

Most breeders during the late 19th century were working on crossing Lemoine's hybrids, indeed Davison's first hybrid called 'George Davison' was of Lemoine parentage [(C. x crocosmiiflora x C. x c. 'Gerbe d'or') x C. x c. 'Gerbe d'or]. But Davison wasn't satisfied with Lemoine's hybrids and turned to Wilhelm Pfitzer's 'potentially polyploid' hybrid 'Germania' for further breeding, which he used to cross with 'George Davison' and hence hybrids like 'Prometheus' were produced.

Davison's Crocosmia were bred and sold under license to Wallace and Co. Ltd.; very large firm of nursery and landscape designers / contractors in the early 20th Century.

Best Wishes,
Dave Fenwick (3 Aug 2000)
Plymouth, UK