Narcissus pseudonarcissus (commonly known as wild daffodil or Lent lily) is a perennial flowering plant which grows from a bulb. It has pale yellow flowers with a darker central trumpet. The long, narrow leaves are slightly greyish in colour and rise from the base of the stem.

Distribution

The species is native to Western Europe from Spain and Portugal east to Germany and north to England and Wales. It is commonly grown in gardens and populations have become established in many other parts of Europe. Wild plants grow in woods, grassland and on rocky ground. In Britain native populations have decreased substantially since the 19th century due to intensification of agriculture, clearance of woodland and uprooting of the bulbs for use in gardens. In Germany it was a subject of a nationally awareness campaign for the protection of wildflowers in 1981.

Subspecies

There are a number of subspecies of the wild daffodil but the exact number varies according to different authors. The large number of cultivars adds to the difficulty of classification. Among the subspecies is the Tenby daffodil (N. p. ssp. obvallaris, sometimes classed as a separate species) which probably originated in cultivation but now grows wild in south-west Wales.

Emblem

The daffodil is the national flower of Wales, and also the County flower of Gloucestershire.^[1]

References

1. ^ Plantlife website County Flowers page

External references

1. Narcissus pseudonarcissus - Plants For A Future database report