Flora-Fauna

Gagea libanotica (Hochst.) Greuter

(First published in Israel J. Bot. 19: 158 (1970); basionym Lloydia libanotica Hochst., first published in J.A.Lorent, Wanderungen: 326 (1845); Nouvelle Flore du Liban et de la Syrie, vol. 1, Pl. LXVIII nº 1; 1966, as Lloydia rubroviridis Boiss. & Kotschy) (Plants of the World Online)

• Life-form & habit : Perennial bulbous geophyte, 15–25 cm tall; bulbs cespitose-ovoid, with membranous tunics, bulbilliferous at the base.

• Leaves : Radical leaf 1, rarely 2, narrowly linear, often equalling the stem; stem with 2–4 linear leaves, progressively decreasing in length upward.

• Inflorescence & flowers : Stem bearing 3–5 flowers; pedicels long; perianth erect and funnel-shaped; tepals elliptic-linear, without a nectary at the base, with 3–5 prominent nerves, green or purple on the back; stamens about one third shorter than the tepals.

• Fruit : Capsule oblong, truncate at the apex.

• Phenology : Flowers from March to May.

• Habitat & elevation : Rocky places, mainly in the middle mountain belt, also on the eastern slope of Lebanon, Mediterranean continental localities, Hermon and the Anti-Lebanon.

• Lebanese distribution : Recorded by Mouterde from Jisr-el-Hajar, Afqa, Khan Sannine, the Cedars, Jabal Qamou‘a, Hadeth, ‘Aïnata, above Zahlé, Baalbeck, ‘Ammiq, Rachaya, Masna‘a and Ouadi-el-Harir.

• Native range : Lebanon-Syria, Palestine.

• Diagnostic remarks : Mouterde treated this plant under Lloydia rubroviridis Boiss. & Kotschy, separated from Gagea in his key by its pale tepals and stamens not adherent to the tepals. POWO now accepts it as Gagea libanotica (Hochst.) Greuter, with Lloydia libanotica Hochst. and Lloydia rubroviridis Boiss. & Kotschy included in its synonymy. It is readily distinguished from the yellow-flowered Gagea species of Mouterde by its erect funnel-shaped perianth, green or purple-nerved tepals, long pedicels, and oblong truncate capsule. (Plants of the World Online)