Species name :

Narcissus serotinusL.
Published in Sp. Pl. 290 (1753)

Synonyms :
(basionym or principal syn.)

Hermione serotina Haw.

Full list of synonyms : [Euro+Med] [WFO] [IPNI] [POWO] [Catalogue of Life] [Worldplants.de]

Plant Family :

Amaryllidaceae Jaume St.-Hil (The Daffodil or Amaryllis Family)
28 species from the Amaryllidaceae family are recorded from the Maltese Islands.

English name(s) :

Late Narcissus, Autumn Narcissus

Maltese name(s) :

Narċis imwaħħar ta sitt qasmiet

Status for Malta :

Indigenous. Present on the Maltese islands before man

Frequency :

Very Common     Common    Frequent     Scarce     Rare    Very rare    Extinct

Growth form :

Germination type [info]: Monocotyledon
Raunkiaer lifeform [info]: Geophyte ( perennials bearing underground bulbs, tubers, rhizomes, stolons, etc. )

Legal Protection :

Not legally protected till the last update of this website (22/Aug/2025)

Red List (1989) :

Not listed in the Red Data Book of the Maltese Islands

Flowering Time :

September – November

Colour of Flowers:

White

Toxicity:

Mildy toxic, can cause adverse conditions if consumed in large quantities

Name Derivation :

Narcissus: To numb, stun or paralyze, referring to the narcotic properties of several plants in this genus. In Greek mythology Narcissus was an attractive youth who fell in love with his own image in water and pined away for it until he died and changed into the narcissus flower. (Greek origin)

serotinus: Matures or develops late, with reference to the flowering compared to other member species in the genus. Usually refers to its late-flowering period. (Latin origin)

Planting in rural areas :

Can be planted in rural areas according to ERA Guidelines

Remarks :

Most if not all records of Narcissus serotinus are misapplied and refer to the closely related Narcissus deficiens for its close resemblance. Records of the actual N. serotinus with a corona having 6 distinct flaps and attenuate perigone tube have exist and are rare, but perhaps pertinent molecular studies are required to shed new taxonomic light; also with regards to the hybridisations taking place between these species, N. tazetta and possibly N. elegans (see Mifsud & Caruana , 2010).