N. oleander
         V. major
         C. arvensis
         S. nigrum
         A. unedo
         P. americana
         S. aspera
         Crocus. sp.
         P. maritimum
         N. tazetta

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Unless otherwise noted, all pictures on this site were taken in Pelion, Greece, shown on the map below.

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View images of the Common Toad, an ugly, bulky, but really sweet creature with an interesting... nightlife.

  Veggie of the Month

Learn about the Salsify, a beautiful plant, with edible and medicinal properties, that is currently blooming in Pelion.

  Cool Destination

Visit Mourtias, one of Pelion's most picturesque beaches on the Aegean coast.

  Exciting Site

Tour the Volos Archaeological Museum, a pretty century-old building, whose exhibits span a historical period of over 10 millennia!

  Month's Wallpaper

Download a fantastic picture of a rickety jetty in Lefokastron, Pelion, taken by Huw Jones.

Loading image. Please wait Cream Narcissus (Narcissus tazetta) :: 2002/03/17 :: Horton :: © A.Papadopoulos Cream Narcissus (Narcissus tazetta) :: 2002/03/17 :: Horton :: © A.Papadopoulos No image! No image! No image!

Cream Narcissus

Narcissus tazetta

Narcissus tazetta is considered the oldest cultivated narcissus, as it was known in ancient Egypt and Greece. It is a very variable bulbous  perennial, with broad, strap-shaped, gray-green leaves, 5 - 25 mm (1/5 - 1 in) wide. Flowers are 15 - 40 mm (3/5 - 1 3/5 in), white with a deep yellow cup. They are borne in clusters of 2 - 7 and are intoxicatingly fragrant.

According to "Plants for a Future", the Cream Narcissus is a  demulcent. It is used in the treatment of boils and  mastitis. The root is  emetic. It is used to relieve headaches. The chopped root is applied externally as an  antiphlogistic and  analgesic  poultice to abscesses, boils and other skin complaints. The plant has a folklore of effectiveness against certain forms of cancer. This might be due to benzaldehyde changing to laetrile-like compounds or to lycorine changing to lycobetaine-like compounds in the body.

"Plants for a Future" also state that an essential oil, obtained from the flowers, is used in perfumery.

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Fact Sheet

Type of plant
Bulbous perennial

Flowering Season
November - March

Known Hazards
None known

Known Uses
Can be used to treat boils and mastitis, relieve headaches and reduce inflammations. An essential oil, obtained from flowers, is used in perfumery. "Plants for a Future" rate this plant 0 out of 5 for edibility and 2 out of 5 for medicinal use (min. 0, max. 5).

Habitat
Meadows, grassy places, cultivated fields,  garrigue and rock crevices.

Distribution
Throughout the Mediterranean region, as far eastwards as China, although its native distribution is unclear, after a long history of cultivation.


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Taxonomy


Kingdom: Plantae (Plants); Subkingdom: Tracheobionta (Vascular plants); Superdivision: Spermatophyta (Seed plants); Division Magnoliophyta (Flowering plants); Class: Liliopsida (Monocotyledons); Order: Asparagales; Family: Amaryllidaceae (Amaryllis family); Genus: Narcissus; Species: tazetta

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Acknowledgments

Information on the plant's edible and medicinal uses was obtained from "Plants for a Future".

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