Sternbergia sicula

Quick Characteristics:

Sternbergia sicula is like a small version of Sternbergia lutea. It grows wild on limestone hills in Mediterranean regions. Plants considered to be S. sicula rather than S. lutea are said to grow in more sharply drained habitats than S. lutea, to have narrower leaves, and to be slightly lighter in flower color; however, the distinction between the two entities, both of which grow in this area, is not entirely clear-cut, and some botanists combine them. The Kew monocot checklist lists the name Sternbergia lutea ssp. sicula as the accepted name. The first two photos by Mark Wilcox were taken at the top of the mountain above Acrocorinth in the Peloponnese region of Greece. The first picture shows a plant that has somehow grown inside a small opening in solid rock. Flowers are shown in bud, bloom, and withered states. The second photo was taken a few feet away, showing another blooming plant with leaves, more typically sited in soil. They had a southern exposure. The third photo by Jane McGary was taken in the Mani Peninsula, Greece, late October. Photo 4 of seed by David Pilling.

The first four photos below were taken by John Lonsdale. The last two photos, one from John Lonsdale and the second from Angelo Porcelli, show bulbs that are descendants of seed from Rannveig Wallis in Wales collected as Sternbergia sicula ex Crete.