''Narcissus elegans'' is a species of flowering plant in the genus ''

Narcissus Narcissus may refer to: Biology * ''Narcissus'' (plant), a genus containing daffodils and others People * Narcissus (mythology), Greek mythological character * Narcissus (wrestler) (2nd century), assassin of the Roman emperor Commodus * Tiberius ...

'' (daffodils) in the family

Amaryllidaceae The Amaryllidaceae are a family of herbaceous, mainly perennial and bulbous (rarely rhizomatous) flowering plants in the monocot order Asparagales. The family takes its name from the genus '' Amaryllis'' and is commonly known as the amaryl ...

. This

bulb In botany, a bulb is a short underground stem with fleshy leaves or leaf basesBell, A.D. 1997. ''Plant form: an illustrated guide to flowering plant morphology''. Oxford University Press, Oxford, U.K. that function as food storage organs duri ...

ous

perennial In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...

is classified in Section ''Tazettae'' and is native to the western Mediterranean.

Description

Narcissus elegans is commonly found in

scrublands Shrubland, scrubland, scrub, brush, or bush is a plant community characterized by vegetation dominated by shrubs, often also including grasses, herbs, and geophytes. Shrubland may either occur naturally or be the result of human activity. It ...

and long-abandoned fields. It can be distinguished from Narcissus serotinus by several key characteristics: N. elegans typically has multiple flowers in its

inflorescence In botany, an inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a plant's Plant stem, stem that is composed of a main branch or a system of branches. An inflorescence is categorized on the basis of the arrangement of flowers on a mai ...

and develops leaves concurrently with flowering, whereas N. serotinus does not have leaves during its flowering period. Additionally, the leaves of N. elegans are flat, contrasting with the cylindrical leaves of N. serotinus. The flowers of N. elegans are white with an orange central corona; the

petals Petals are modified leaves that form an inner whorl surrounding the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often brightly coloured or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''coroll ...

are notably narrow and sometimes curve backward. This species blooms in the

autumn Autumn, also known as fall (especially in US & Canada), is one of the four temperate seasons on Earth. Outside the tropics, autumn marks the transition from summer to winter, in September (Northern Hemisphere) or March ( Southern Hemisphe ...

Taxonomy

Narcissus elegans was described by botanists (Haw.) Spach. The description was published in Histoire Naturelle des Végétaux, Classés par Familles, volume 12, on page 452, in the year 1846.

Cytology

The

chromosome A chromosome is a package of DNA containing part or all of the genetic material of an organism. In most chromosomes, the very long thin DNA fibers are coated with nucleosome-forming packaging proteins; in eukaryotic cells, the most import ...

number for Narcissus elegans, belonging to the family Amaryllidaceae, and its infraspecific taxa is documented as 2n=20.

Etymology

The genus name Narcissus is derived from the

Greek mythological Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the ancient Greeks, and a genre of ancient Greek folklore, today absorbed alongside Roman mythology into the broader designation of classical mythology. These stories concern the ancient ...

character Νάρκισσος (Narkissos), who was known for his striking beauty. He was the son of the river god Cephissus and the

nymph A nymph (; ; sometimes spelled nymphe) is a minor female nature deity in ancient Greek folklore. Distinct from other Greek goddesses, nymphs are generally regarded as personifications of nature; they are typically tied to a specific place, land ...

Leiriope. The name reflects the notable beauty associated with the flowers of this genus. The name Narcissus is derived from the

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

word ναρκάω (narkào), meaning "to numb," referencing the narcotic-like, intoxicating scent of some species' flowers. There is an alternative theory suggesting the name originates from the

Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...

word نرگس (nargis), which also denotes an intoxicating quality associated with the plant.

Specific Epithet

The specific epithet ''elegans'' is derived from

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

, meaning "elegant." This descriptor is used to highlight the graceful and refined appearance of the plant.

References

elegans Garden plants {{Amaryllidaceae-stub