FRITILLARIA MESSANENSIS subsp. SPHACIOTICA

Family and Genus:- See- LILIACEAE

Common Names:- None

Homotypic Synonyms:- None

Meaning:- Fritillaria (L) Dice-box, (reference to the shape of the flowers).

Messanensis (L) From the Messenia area, Italy.

Sphaciotica (Gr) Damaged looking.

General description:- Short perennial.

Stems:-

1) 15-25 cm, erect, slender, greyish, sometimes suffused with purple.

Leaves:-

1) Several, linear, 8-15 x 0.2-0.6 cm, mostly alternate but the uppermost usually in

a whorl of 3, glaucous-green or somewhat purple.

Flowers:-

1) Perianth, broadly campanulate; segments, yellowish or brownish outside,

tessellated or marked with brownish-purple, sometimes with greenish fascia.

a) outer segments, 22-32 x 8-15 mm, ovate-lanceolate, acute or obtuse,

b) inner, 12-17 mm wide, apiculate or rounded.

2) Nectaries, 6-10 x 3-4 mm, ovate-lanceolate, green, blackening on drying, 3-5 mm

above the base of the perianth-segment.

3) Filaments, 10-13 mm, sparsely papillose.

4) Style, 10 mm, 3-fid, the branches 5-6 mm, smooth.

Fruit:-

1) Capsule, broadly cylindrical, unwinged.

Key features:-

1) Perianth green, brown or blackish, usually with fascia.

2) Nectary, c. 5 mm above base of the perianth-segment, (6-)10-15 mm; ovate-

lanceolate.

3) Stem, 15-30 cm.

4) Lowest leaves, 3-7 mm wide.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Seasonally damp spots in dry open shrubby vegetation, meadows and

open woodland. 50-900 (-1300) m.

Distribution:- Cretan endemic, limited distribution more common in the west.

Flowering time:- Late Mar to early May.

Photos by:- Steve Lenton