GAGEA BOHEMICA

Family and Genus:- See- LILIACEAE/G. BOHEMICA group

Common Names:- None

Homotypic Synonyms:- Gagea saxatalis

Meaning:- Gagea (L) For the English botanist Sir Thomas Gage (1781-1820).

Bohemica (L) Bohemian, from Bohemia.

General description:- Often forming dense clumps, usually short-pilose or

sparsely villous on the stem

Bulb:-

1) Small,ovoid; bulb and sister bulbils, entangled in the roots

Stem:-

1) 3-10 cm. usually short-pilose or sparsely villous on the stem.

Leaves:-

1) Basal, 2 per bulb, subequal, filiform, usually twisted, exceeding the flowers but

always distally destroyed at anthesis.

2) Cauline, alternate, lanceolate.

a) lower, caudate.

Flowers:-

1) 2-5, erect in bud.

2) Pedicels, 2-10 mm, not elongating.

3) Perianth-segments, 10-16 mm, oblanceolate to spathulate, obutuse, lemon

yellow above, with broad green fascia beneath.

Fruit:-

1) Capsule, obcordate, often not produced or empty..

Key features:-

1) Stem, glabrous.

2) Basal leaves, glabrous.

3) Pedicels and perianth-segments, hairy.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Meadows and rock ledges, mainly over limestone. 400-1300(-2000) m.

Distribution:- Fairly rare and scattered in mainland Greece and N Peloponnisos. -

Widespread in S & C Europe, extending to N Africa an Anatolia. On Crete more or

less confined to the four main massiffs

Flowering time:- Mar to early May.

Photo by:- Courtesy of Wiki-Commons