Pancratium maritimum

Sea daffodil ( Pancratium maritimum )

The sea daffodil ( Pancratium maritimum ), also called beach lily is a perennial plant of the family of the Amaryllis family ( Amaryllidaceae ). It is widespread on the coasts of the Mediterranean.

• 4.1 Notes and references

Description

Vegetative characteristics

The sea daffodil grows as a perennial, herbaceous plant, reaching heights of growth of about 60 to 75 cm. Geophyt as to form a deep-seated bulb having a diameter of about 5-7 cm. The five to six undergraduate, arranged in the form of a flat spiral leaves appear after flowering. The simple, gray - green colored, coarse leaves are strap- shaped, with a length of up to 75 cm and a width of 1-2 cm.

Generative features

The flowering period extends from July to September. At up to 75 cm long inflorescence stem sits on two red-brown, papery, about 5 to 7 cm long bracts of the inflorescence terminal scheindoldige containing three to fifteen flowers.

The strikingly large and fragrant flowers bloom only from the afternoon until the following morning. The hermaphrodite flowers are triple. The six equal -faceted, white bracts are fused to a 6 to 8 inches long and very slender, funnel-shaped corolla tube. The free portions of the bracts are linear - lanceolate with a length of 3 to 5 centimeters. Zwölfzähnige the funnel- shaped, white corona is about 2/3 the length of the crown and is connected to the lower part of the stamens. The six arranged in two alternating circles stamens protrude beyond the side crown. Three carpels are fused into one under constant, dreikammerigen ovary.

The slightly triangular, ovate, 2.3 to 3 inches long, lokulizide, dreifächerige fruit capsule contains 10 to 40 seeds. The jet-black seeds are 11 to 13 millimeters in size. The involvement of ants in the spread of the seeds is suspected. The seeds are long buoyant, which also spread by means of sea water can be.

Occurrence

The sea daffodil is widespread on the coasts of the Mediterranean, but also occurs on the southern shores of the Black Sea and reached there in the west, Bulgaria to the east Transcaucasia. The northernmost deposits are located on the Atlantic coast in southern Brittany, the southernmost in Essaouira in Morocco. The deposits on the Canary Island of Fuerteventura is possibly, the occurrence on the Azores island of Faial and on the Bermuda safe introduction.

The sea daffodil colonized white dunes and similar locations on sandy beaches. In the phytosociological system it is considered as characteristic species of the class Ammophiletea arenariae.

Use

The dunes - daffodils funnel is one of the plants, which are referred to in the Bible with " flowers".

Its flowers form a common motif in the wall paintings of the excavated houses on the volcanic island of Santorini and were probably used next to the lilies bloom default for frescoes and inlay work.

The Legend of the Holy Restituta of Africa claims, dune hopper daffodils had bloomed when her body in Ischia, landed.

Swell

• Hans de Vries: Flowers of Chania: Pancratium maritimum L., the Sea Daffodil. Accessed 22 May 2011 (English, Characteristics with pictures and detailed illustrations ). ( Description section )
• Peter Schoenfelder, Ingrid Schoenfelder: What flowers on the Mediterranean? ( = Cosmos Nature Guide ). 4th edition. Franckh-Kosmos, Stuttgart 2005, ISBN 3-440-10211-4.