The species of July 2013

Name: Sea Daffodil
Scientific name: Pancratium maritimum
Family: Amaryllidaceae

Description
Perennial plant, bulbous plant, with a trunk height of about 40 cm and a root system that reaches 1.5 m. Flowers white, symmetrical, fragrant, with 6 stamens and yellow anthers.

Spreading
An endemic plant that can only be found on the sandy beaches of the Mediterranean. In Cyprus, it has been recorded in more than 25 places with a total number of more than 200,000 species and the largest subpopulation located in the occupied areas of the island. The Sea Daffodil was found in Akamas, Akrotiri (9,000 people), Amathounta, Dhekelia, Kato Pyrgos, Gialia, Apostolos Andreas, Rizokarpaso, Agia Irini, Kormakiti, Alakati.

Habitat
Sandy beaches of the Mediterranean and South-Western Europe.

Biology
It multiplies with the bulbs and with the tiny black seeds that are thrown away and carried away by the wind and I would catch it on another shore. When these seeds are found in favorable conditions, they are buried in the sand and with the presence of moisture, they create new populations. The Sea Daffodil sprouts in late winter or early spring and begins to bloom in mid-July with the end of August reaching its highest point of flowering.

Preservation Statement and Threats
Protected species, due to the great pressure it receives from the development of coastal areas.

Value and uses
Aromatic and ornamental plant of the coastal areas of the Mediterranean.

Sources:  
[1] Το κόκκινο βιβλίο της Χλωρίδας της Κύπρου. Φιλοδασικός Σύνδεσμος Κύπρου.
[2] http://news.karpasha.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3403:-pancratium-maritimum

Image source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pacratium_maritimum_Paestum.jpg

@ Stemonitis