Family |
Asphodelaceae
Asphodeline lutea
(L.) Rchb.
Asphodeline lutea L.
(Nouvelle Flore du Liban et de la Syrie, vol. 1, Pl. LXVI nº 1; 1966)
Life-form & habit: Tall perennial with thickened fasciculate roots and a robust, erect, unbranched stem up to 100–150 cm. Base leafy, upper portion leafless and terminated by an inflorescence.
Leaves: Numerous, linear, triquetrous, canaliculate, glaucescent, and finely striated.
Inflorescence & flowers: Terminal raceme, rather lax and elongate. Bracts shorter than the pedicels. Flowers large, showy, yellow. Perianth segments spreading, 3-nerved, 25–30 mm long. Filaments hairy in the lower half.
Fruit: Capsule ovoid, 3-locular; seeds black, irregularly angled.
Phenology: Flowers from April to June.
Habitat & elevation: Rocky or disturbed areas, roadsides, and pastures.
Lebanese distribution: Ct. Saïda, Beirut, Tripoli; Mi. Ghazir, Bzebdine, Bchamoun, Brummana, Bikfaya, Baabda; Mm. Hasroun, Maasser ech-Chouf, Dahr-el-Baïdar; Met. Beqaa, Rayak.
Native range: Western and Central Mediterranean to the Levant.