Prospero hierapytnense
Prospero hierapytnense is a flowering plant of the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae that is endemic to Crete, Greece. This autumn-flowering plant produces nodding rosy-pink blooms on slender stems that emerge after its grass-like leaves appear. First collected in 1981 from the Kavousi Gorge in eastern Crete at elevations of 100–230 metres, it was formally recognized as a distinct species in 2000 and is distinct among its relatives for its unique chromosome count.
Description
Prospero hierapytnense arises from a small, ovoid underground bulb 1.5–2 cm long and 0.9–2 cm wide, its flesh pale pink to white and enclosed in a brown papery. From the base emerge branched roots and, in autumn before flowering, six to nine narrow, grass-like leaves up to 10–12 cm long and 1–2 mm wide.When in bloom, one or two leafless flowering stems 7–15 cm tall and about 1.2–1.5 mm thick carry between six and fourteen nodding flowers. Each flower has six rosy-pink segments measuring 5.5–6.5 mm by 2–2.5 mm. The bear lance-shaped ( filaments 3–4 mm long, each arising from a white base. The ovoid is violet-tinged, about 2 mm long and 1.6 mm wide, topped by a 1.5–1.8 mm in length. After fertilisationthe plant produces a spherical seed capsule about 3 mm in diameter that contains black seeds roughly 1.6 mm long and 1.2 mm wide. Chromosome analysis indicates a diploid count of 2n=26.