Narcissus bulbocodium

Amaryllidaceae. Perennial bulbous daffodil with an Atlantic and west-Mediterranean distribution, present from Portugal and Spain to the southwest of France and Morocco. In Chalosse, where these photographs were taken, the species is very rare and only persists in a few localized and vulnerable stations. One of them was destroyed by agricultural work, reminding us of the fragility of these populations on the edge of the main range.

The plant reaches 10 to 20 cm in height. Its foliage is filiform, erect to slightly arched, medium green to glaucous green. The flower, solitary on a slender stem, is immediately recognizable by its very developed funnel-shaped crown which largely dominates the six narrow and spread tepals — hence the popular name of petticoat daffodil. The shade of the Chalosse populations ranges from pale sulfur yellow to lemon yellow, with bright orange stamens clearly visible at the bottom of the crown.

In its natural habitat, its flowering extends from February to April depending on exposure. It occupies poor acidophilic grasslands, embankments, and grassy verges on poor sandy to silty soils, often accompanied by fine grasses.

In cultivation, it requires well-drained, slightly acidic soil, poor in nutrients, with direct sunlight, and tolerates a dry summer rest. It naturalizes readily in lawns mowed late.

The photographs show two very rare natural populations observed in the Landes de Chalosse. In 2022, the first — photos 1, 2, 3, 4 — is doing well; the second — photos 5, 6 — disappeared after the felling of two trees to enlarge an immense cornfield by a few square meters. Some bulbs unearthed and exposed by the plow were able to be saved. They are characterized by a long flowering period and have retained their remarkable straw-yellow color.

See also the National Inventory of Natural Heritage (INPN).