Acis valentina

[Carlos]

Hi, it's that time of the year when Acis valentina can be caught in bloom, here some photos taken today. It grows with Prospero obtusifolium here, one of its few locations outside northern Africa. I can't tell the location of the site to protect the plants from poaching, you surely understand.

Some plants have more rounded tepals, more "snowdrop-like" (photos 3, 4, 6).

It is the only strict bulbous endemic in my region (Valencia region, eastern Spain), not really threatened, but only really easy to spot for 15-20 days, so it seems more rare.

 Carlos Jiménez

[Uli]

Hello Carlos,

Thank you for these nice pictures. I can judge the size of Acis valentina taking your thumb for comparison. A charming and dainty plant. But how big, how tall is Prospero obtusifolium? Does the last photo show the Prospero leaves?

Bye for now 

Uli 

[janemcgary]

Acis valentina grows well in the open garden here in western Oregon, and is coming into flower now. I have Prospero obtusifolia under its old name of Scilla o., and am glad to know where it has now been placed. I grew another "Scilla" under the species name intermedia, and it looks very like obtusifolia and flowers in autumn too. It's interesting that North Africa has produced A. valentina, a fall bloomer, and A. tingitana, a very similar plant that flowers in spring.

[Carlos]

Hi, thanks for the comments.

I have not seen P. obtusifolia many times, the fruiting stalk is about 25 tall, quite more than the local autumnalis. Yes, last photo are the emerging leaves of an immature bulb. I can collect some seeds if you want to try it. 

Jane, what was circulating as Acis valentina was in fact Acis ionica, I think it is likely thet this is what you have unless you have a reliable source (like, say, me). 

And well, there is no Acis valentina in Africa, just tingitana and autumnalis, possibly trichophyllum but I am not sure. I think you meant autumnalis. 

Acis valentina is very very similar to ionica, and to nicaeensis, am even more rare plant from Nice and Monaco (cited from Monte Carlo, possibly still surviving in the little space left by the casino and luxury villas). Then there is Acis rosea from Corsica and Sardinia, but there is very scarce information on it, it seems to bloom in late spring.

I looked intermedia up and some consider it to be our local obtusifolia, so it would be Prospero obtusifolia subsp, intermedia. I have no African material (but will next year) and can't confirm or deny on this subject.

Regards

Carlos