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 Sea Daffodil (Pancratium maritimum) :: 2001/08/05 :: Kastri :: © A.Papadopoulos Sea Daffodil (Pancratium maritimum) :: 2001/08/05 :: Kastri :: © A.Papadopoulos No image! No image! No image!

Sea Daffodil

Pancratium maritimum

One of the more exotic members of the amaryllis family, Pancratium maritimum is found growing around the Mt. Pelion coastline. Strongly and sweetly scented, this small genus produces large white blooms in summer, whose six petals frame the corona in the manner of daffodils; hence the common name "Sea Daffodil." Its leaves are fleshy, gray-green and strap-shaped, while its fruits are large, 3-valved capsules. It grows on sandy beaches and sand dunes, at some distance from the surf. It flowers between August and October. The specimen depicted here was photographed in Kastri, but I have also seen Sea Daffodils growing on Potistika & Melani beaches.

According to "Plants for a Future", the bulb may be edible when cooked, however this information is somewhat dubious, since there are reports that the bulb is poisonous.

The same source maintains that the woolly hairs on the inside of the seed capsule are used to weave felt shoes and other garments. No medicinal uses have been reported.

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Fact Sheet

Type of plant
Bulbous  perennial

Flowering Season
August - October

Known Hazards
Bulb may be poisonous.

Known Uses
Practically no use at all, but it is a beautiful flower and smells great. Woolly hairs on the inside of the seed capsule may be used to weave felt shoes and other garments. "Plants for a Future" rate this plant 1 out of 5 for edibility and 0 out of 5 for medicinal use (min. 0, max. 5).

Habitat
Sandy coastal habitats, including sand-dunes.

Distribution
Throughout the Mediterranean region.


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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: Pancratium; Species: maritimum

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Acknowledgments

• Thanks to Mr. P. Vigneron, from France, for providing taxonomical information.
• Information on the plant's edible and medicinal uses was obtained from "Plants for a Future".

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