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Moraea sisyrinchium
Corm 1-3 cm in diameter, ovoid to globose, outer tunic brown, fibrous, reticulate, elongating into a neck. Aerial stem 5-35 (-60) cm. Leaves 2, with sheathing tubular basal portion enclosing the stem, lamina linear, 10-38 cm long, 5-8 (-10) mm broad. Aerial stem 6-40 (-60) cm tall, with a terminal and 1-2 lateral, 2-4-flowered inflorescences. Bracts scarious, 35-70 mm, inner shorter or equally long. Perianth (perigone) violet blue, white near base of blade of outer segments somewhat spotted; tube absent. Outer segments 2.5-3.5 cm long, claw narrow; inner segments erect, slightly shorter and narrower. Filaments 4-14 mm long, anther 6-10 mm. Pedicel c. 5 mm. Beak of ovary c. 2 cm long; style c. 5 mm long, split into tepaloid 1.5-2.5 cm erect branches; stigma bilobed. Capsule 1.5-4 cm long. Seeds 1.5-3 mm, subellipsoid, somewhat compressed, black-brown. (E.O.L.)
Throughout Mediterranean regions from Portugal and N. Africa eastwards through Europe, Libya, Egypt to Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Russian Central Asia and Pakistan.
Spotted on Apr 21, 2012
Submitted on Jun 19, 2012
