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Urginea maritima

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A wild plant with natural exposed bulb on Malta.


Wild plants from Malta, growing in limestone.


The plants can be found in huge groups or single.


The flower from Farmergracy.co.uk.

Author:  John Gilbert Baker, 1873
Family:  HYACINTHACEAE*
Origin:  France, Italy, Morocco, Portugal, Spain
Soil:  Sand - Mix
Water:  Medium
Sun:  Medium
Thickness:  25 Centimetres
Height:  25 Centimetres
Flower:  White
Propagate:  Seeds/Bulbs
Names:  Sea Squill, Sea Onion, Red Squill, White Sguill, Cebolla albarrana, Cebolla de grajo, Ceba Marina, Ceborrancha, Escila, Esquila, Scille Maritime, Grande Scille, Oignon Marin, Skilokrémidha, Vana-palândam, Ein Sit, Hatzav, Strandløg
Synonyms:  Charybdis maritima, Franz Speta, 1998.
Drimia maritima
, Stearn, 1978.
Ornithogalum maritimum,
Jean Baptiste Antoine Pierre de Monnet de Lamarck..
Ornithogalum squilla,
Ker Gawl.
Scilla lanceolata,
Viv.
Scilla maritima,
L.
Scilla rubra,
Garsault.
Squilla insularis,
Jord. & Fourr.
Squilla littoralis,
Jord. & Fourr.
Scilla maritima,
Linnaeus, 1753.
Squilla sphaeroidea,
Jord. & Fourr.
Stellaris scilla,
Moench.
Urginea insularis,
Grey.
Urginea littoralis,
Grey.
Urginea maritima,
Baker.
Urginea
scilla, Steinh. 1834.
Urginea sphaeroidea,
Grey.

This member of the Hyacinthaceae family was given this name by John Gilbert Baker in 1873. It is found in the Mediterranean Basin and on the Canary Islands, growing in sand or other well drained soil with some water and some sun. The bulb can grow up to 25 centimetres in diameter, the leaves up to 30 centimetres long. The large flower stalk can grow up to 1,5 meter and the flowers are white.

The genera name after Johannes Heinrich Ursinus, 1608-1667, a German author, scholar, Lutheran theologian, humanist and dean of Regensburg. The species name means 'from the sea', as it is found along the coast.

*)Accordantly to the latest taxonomic system; APG IV 2016, Hyacinthaceae is now part of the Asparagaceae.


The bulb by Ivan Cupic from Aqrabim
ascent, east Negev desert.


The bulb can be exposed, in the wild but are normally buried.