Pancratium maritimum

{{short description|Species of plant}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2025}} {{Speciesbox |name=Sea daffodil |taxon = Pancratium maritimum |image = Pacratium maritimum Paestum.jpg |authority = [[Carl Linnaeus|L.]] |status = LC |status_system = IUCN3.1 |status_ref = <ref name=iucn>{{Cite iucn |title=''Pancratium maritimum'' |author=Juan Vicedo, J. |name-list-style=amp |article-number=e.T18990540A57467022 |date=2018 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T18990540A57467022.en |access-date=20 September 2021}}</ref> |synonyms_ref = <ref name="henrietta"/> |synonyms = *''P. angustifolium'' M. Roem. *''Hymenocallis maritima'' (L.) M.Roem. *''Pancratium carolinianum'' L. *''Scilla parva'' Garsault *''Hymenocallis lacera'' Salisb. *''Hymenocallis caroliniana'' (L.) Herb. *''Hymenocallis ruizii'' M.Roem. *''Pancratium aegyptiacum'' M.Roem. *''Pancratium abchasicum'' Regel *''Pancratium maritimum'' var. ''aureum'' Pynaert *''Pancratium angustifolium'' Lojac. 1909, illegitimate homonym, not M.Roem. 1847 *''Pancratium barcinonense'' Sennen *''Pancratium mirennae'' Mattei *''Pancratium linosae'' Soldano & F.Conti }}

'''''Pancratium maritimum''''', or '''sea daffodil''', is a species of [[bulb|bulbous plant]] native to both sides of the [[Mediterranean region]] and the [[Black Sea]], from the [[Canary Islands]], Portugal, Morocco, and Cyprus, and east to Turkey, Syria, Israel and the [[Caucasus]].<ref name="henrietta"/><ref name="sofia">[http://luirig.altervista.org/flora/taxa/index1.php?scientific-name=pancratium+maritimum Altervista Flora Italiana, Giglio marino comune, ''Pancratium maritimum'' ]</ref> Parts of its range on the coasts of the Black Sea include southern Bulgaria, northern Turkey and Georgia. It is also naturalized in southern California, Bermuda and the [[Azores]].<ref name="henrietta">[http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/namedetail.do?name_id=286099 Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families]</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Pancratium maritimum L. - sea-daffodil |url=https://plants.usda.gov/java/county?state_name=California&statefips=06&symbol=PAMA38 |publisher=US Department of Agriculture Plant profile |access-date=31 August 2016}}</ref>

''Pancratium maritimum'' grows on beaches and coastal sand dunes, often with much of the leaves and [[Scape (botany)|scapes]] buried in the sand. Other [[Common name|vernacular names]] are sea lily, sand daffodil, sand lily and lily of [[St. Nicholas]],<ref name="skopelos">{{cite web |title=Pancratium maritimum Sea daffodil, sea lily, lily of St Nicholas Κρίνος της θάλασσας Amaryllidaceae - amaryllis family Monocot. |url=https://wildflowersofskopelos.org.uk/White/Pages/Pancratium_maritimum.html |website=wildflowersofskopelos.org.uk |access-date=31 May 2021}}</ref> (although it is not a [[Lilium|true lily]]). The specific epithet ''maritimum'' means "of the sea".<ref name= "Jaeger">{{cite book |author=Jaeger, Edmund Carroll |title=A source-book of biological names and terms |url=https://archive.org/details/sourcebookofbiol0000jaeg |url-access=registration |publisher=Thomas |location=Springfield, Ill |year=1959 |isbn=0-398-06179-3}}</ref>

==Description== ''Pancratium maritimum'' is a bulbous perennial with a long neck and glaucous, broadly linear leaves, evergreen, but the leaves often die back during hot summers. Scape to {{convert|40|cm}}. Flowers 3–15 in an umbel,<ref name="skopelos"/> up to {{convert|15|cm|abbr=on|0}} long, white. Corona two-thirds as long as the tepals. The flowers have a pleasing, exotic and very subtle lily scent, which only becomes apparent during still, windless summer nights that allow the delicate fragrance to become perceptible. Flowering is from August to October.<ref name="sofia"/> [[Image:Pancratium maritimum sardinia.JPG|thumb|right|Group of flowers on the [[Sardinia]]n coast|300px]]

=== Chemistry === 4'-Hydroxy-5,7-dimethoxy-8-methylflavan is a [[flavan]] found in ''P. maritimum''.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=A. A. Ali |author2=M. A. Makboul |author3=A. A. Attia |author4=D. T. Ali |year=1990 |title=Chromones and flavans from ''Pancratium maritimum'' |journal=[[Phytochemistry (journal)|Phytochemistry]] |volume=29 |issue=2 |pages=625–627 |doi=10.1016/0031-9422(90)85130-8 |bibcode=1990PChem..29..625A }}</ref>

==Ecology== ''Pancratium maritimum'' is pollinated by a [[hawk-moth]] named ''[[Agrius convolvuli]]''.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Pancratium maritimum |url=https://www.flowersofchania.com/pancratium-maritimum.html |access-date=28 November 2024 |website=flowers of chania |language=nl}}</ref> These insects visit the flower only when the speed of the wind is under {{convert|2|m/s}}.<ref name=":0" /> Even if the species is pollinated in an artificial way during windy weather the pollination is not effective. ''Pancratium maritimum'' is not receptive to its own pollen and must be cross-pollinated.<ref name=":0" /> [[File:Sea-daffodil-corfu.jpg|thumb|''Pancratium maritimum'' cluster with seed pods in [[Corfu]]. ]]

==Cultivation== Easily grown but requires a very sunny position and a very well drained, sandy soil. Needs hot summers to induce flowering and is often a shy bloomer in cooler climates. Hardy to USDA zone 8. Tolerates temperatures down to about {{convert|−5|C|F}}. Propagation by seeds or division after flowering. Seedlings may flower in their third or fourth year.<ref>[http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Pancratium+maritimum Plants for a Future, sea daffodil, Pancratium maritimum ]</ref><ref>[http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/53531 Dave's Garden, PlantFiles: Sea Daffodil, Sand Lily, Northern Marsh Orchid ''Pancratium maritimum'']/</ref>

==Culture== The [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] name for the flower is {{lang|he|חבצלת החוף}} (''{{lang|he|khavatselet ha-Khof}}''), closely related to the [[rose of Sharon]] (''{{lang|he|khavatselet ha-Sharon}}'' – {{lang|he|חבצלת השרון}}) mentioned in the [[Song of Solomon]]. Since the plant grows on the [[Sharon plain]] of the coast of the [[Mediterranean Sea]], it is suggested the biblical passage may refer to this flower.<ref>[http://www.wildflowers.co.il/hebrew/plant.asp?ID=140 Coastal Lily]{{Dead link|date=July 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} at wildflowers.co.il ('''Hebrew''')</ref>

==See also==

* [[List of plants known as lily]]

==References== {{Reflist}}

==Other sources== * Boulos, L. (1995). Flora of Egypt Checklist: i-xii, 1-287. Al Hadara Publishing, Cairo. * Boulos, L. (2005). Flora of Egypt 4: 1-617. Al Hadara Publishing, Cairo. * Britton, N. (1918). Flora of Bermuda: 1-585. Charles Scribner's Sons, New York. * Czerepanov, S.K. (1995). Vascular Plants of Russia and Adjacent States (The Former USSR): 1-516. Cambridge University Press. * Danin, A. (2004). Distribution Atlas of Plants in the Flora Palaestina area: 1-517. The Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Jerusalem. * Davis, P.H. (ed.) (1984). Flora of Turkey and the East Aegean Islands 8: 1-632. Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh. * Dobignard, D. & Chatelain, C. (2010). Index synonymique de la flore d'Afrique du nord 1: 1-455. Éditions des conservatoire et jardin botaniques, Genève. * Hansen, A. & Sunding, P. (1985). Flora of Macaronesia. Checklist of vascular plants. 3. revised edition. Sommerfeltia 1: 5-103. * Jafri, S.M.H. & El-Gadi, A. (eds.) (1978). Flora of Libya 51: 1-10. Al-Faateh University, Tripoli. * Maire, R. (1960). Flore de l'Afrique du Nord 6: 1-397. Paul Lechevalier, Paris. * Meikle, R.D. (1985). Flora of Cyprus 2: 833-1970. The Bentham-Moxon Trust Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. * {{cite book |author=Polunin, Oleg |author-link=Oleg Polunin |year=1987 |title=Flowers of Greece and the Balkans – a Field Guide |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=0-19-281998-4}} * {{cite book |author1=Phillips, R. |author2=M. Rix |name-list-style=amp |year=1989 |title=Bulbs |publisher=Pan Books |isbn=0-330-30253-1}} * Tutin, T.G. et al. (eds.) (1980). Flora Europaea 5: 1-452. Cambridge University Press. * Zervous, S., Raus, T. & Yannitsaros, A. (2009). Additions to the flora of the island of Kalimnos (SE Aegean, Greece). Willdenowia 39: 165-177.

==External links== {{Commons}} {{Wikispecies}} * [http://www.west-crete.com/flowers/pancratium_maritimum.htm Visit West Crete, Safaris In Masai Mara, ''Pancratium maritimum'' - Sea daffodil] * [http://www.flowersofchania.com/html/pancratium_maritimum.html Flowers of Chania, ''Pancratium maritimum'' - Sea daffodil ] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20160304031648/http://www.mediterraneangardensociety.org/news-sealily.html Mediterranean Garden Society, ''Pancratium maritimum'']

[[Category:Pancratium|maritimum]] [[Category:Plants described in 1753]] [[Category:Flora of Europe]] [[Category:Flora of North Africa]] [[Category:Flora of the Caucasus]] [[Category:Flora of Turkey]] [[Category:Flora of Israel]] [[Category:Flora of the Canary Islands]] [[Category:Botanical taxa named by Carl Linnaeus]] [[Category:Flora of Palestine (region)]]