Sternbergia lutea


Sternbergia lutea, the winter daffodil, autumn daffodil, fall daffodil, lily-of-the-field, or yellow autumn crocus, is a bulbous flowering plant in the family Amaryllidaceae, subfamily Amaryllidoideae, in the Narcisseae tribe, which is used as an ornamental plant. It has yellow flowers which appear in autumn.
The Latin specific epithet lutea means "yellow".

Description

[Image:Sternbergia lutea showing the different parts of the flower.JPG|thumb|center|The six grey-striated tepals, the six yellow stamens, and the style with its stigma]
Sternbergia lutea has a wide distribution from the Balearic Islands in the Western Mediterranean through to Tajikistan in Central Asia. It dies down to a bulb during the summer. Leaves first appear in the autumn, and are glossy green, up to 12 mm wide; they remain through the winter.
Deep yellow flowers appear soon after the leaves, with six tepals around 3–3.5 cm long, six yellow stamens and a style with a single stigma.
Smaller forms with narrower leaves and narrower tepals have been separated off under various names.

Subspecies

Three subspecies are accepted.
  • Sternbergia lutea subsp. greuteriana – Crete
  • Sternbergia lutea subsp. lutea – southern Europe to western Asia, the Caucasus, and Tajikistan
  • Sternbergia lutea subsp. sicula – Italy, Sicily, Greece, Crete, and western Turkey

Cultivation

Sternbergia lutea is hardy to USDA hardiness zones 7–9 depending on the degree of protection given. It can be grown outside in the British Isles in well-drained soil; a warm dry period in summer is required for good flowering. Alkaline soils are recommended. Bulbs are usually planted while dormant, but can be lifted and divided before the leaves die down in late spring.
This plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
A vigorous form with narrow leaves is grown in gardens under the name S. lutea var. angustifolia.