Family |
Asparagaceae
Bellevalia trifoliata
(Ten.) Kunth
Bellevalia trifoliata Ten.
(Nouvelle Flore du Liban et de la Syrie, vol. 1, Pl. LXXIX nº 1; 1966)
Life-form & habit: Medium to large bulbous perennial, 2–5 cm in diameter.
Leaves: 2–4 (rarely up to 6), lanceolate, shorter or longer than the flowering stem; margins scabrous or glabrous; outer leaf sometimes up to 3 cm wide.
Inflorescence & flowers: Cylindrical raceme, 3–12 cm long and 2–5 cm wide, with 20–40 flowers; axis often reddish-violet. Pedicels with very short, often colored, triangular bracts as long as or shorter than the flower, initially erect, later inclined and horizontal.
Perianth: Narrow, tubular-campanulate, sometimes slightly zygomorphic, 9–16 mm; vivid violet in bud, becoming pale violet at the apex during anthesis, then livid; free segments olive-colored.
Anthers: Violet.
Fruit: Globose capsule with three prominent ribs.
Phenology: Flowers from February to April.
Habitat & elevation: Abandoned ground and cultivated fields; the variety nusairiensis occurs in rocky woodland.
Lebanese distribution: Ct. Saïda, Khaldé, Beirut, Nahr el-Kelb, Tripoli; Mi. ‘Abey, ‘Asfouriyé, ‘Antoura; S. Mi. Chmaïssé.
Syrian distribution: NLatt. north of Lattaquié; Mm. Slenfé, Col de Jaoubat Bourghal; Sy. Ghab marshes, Ouroum-es-Soughra, Homs-Hama; Sud. Hammé.
Native range: Cyprus, East Aegean Is., Egypt, Greece, Italy, Lebanon-Syria, Palestine, Sinai, Türkey. (KEW)
Introduced into: France, Portugal (KEW)