Cream Narcissus

Narcissus tazetta (paperwhite, bunch-flowered narcissus, bunch-flowered daffodil,^[1] Chinese sacred lily, cream narcissus, joss flower, polyanthus narcissus) is a perennial ornamental plant that grows from a bulb. Cultivars of N. tazetta include 'Paperwhite', 'Grand Soleil d'Or' and 'Ziva', which are popularly used for forcing indoors, as is the form of N. tazetta known as Chinese Sacred Lily.^[2][3][4]

Description

The mountain ecotype in Palestine and Israel.

Close-up on flowers

Narcissus tazetta is amongst the tallest of the narcissi, and can grow to a height of up to 80 centimetres (31 in),^[5] with thin, flat leaves up to 40 centimetres (16 in) long and 15 millimetres (0.59 in) wide. Umbels have as many as 8 flowers, white with a yellow corona.^{[6][7][8][9][10]}

Taxonomy

Subspecies

Six subspecies are accepted by the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families:^[11]

• N. tazetta subsp. aureus (Jord. & Fourr.) Baker^[12] syn. N. bertolonii – south-east France, Sardinia, north-west Italy, Algeria, Morocco
• N. tazetta subsp. canariensis (Burb.) Baker^[13] – Canary Islands
• N. tazetta subsp. chinensis (M.Roem.) Masam. & Yanagih.^[14][15] – south-east China, Japan, South Korea
• N. tazetta subsp. corcyrensis (Herb.) Baker^[16] – Corfu (Greece)
• N. tazetta subsp. italicus (Ker Gawl.) Baker^[13] syn. N. italicus – Mediterranean from southern France to Greece
• N. tazetta subsp. tazetta – widely distributed from the western Mediterranean to Afghanistan

Ecology

Narcissus tazetta contains a fragrant compound found in only a few other plants, including roses and Acnistus arborescens, called orcinol dimethyl ether, which is almost undetectable to the human nose. Experiments with honeybees have shown they can readily detect it.^[17]

Distribution

Narcissus tazetta is a widespread species, native to the Mediterranean region from Portugal to Turkey. It is also naturalized across the Middle East, Central Asia, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal and Bhutan, as well as the Canary Islands, China (Fujian, Zhejiang), Japan, Australia, Korea, Norfolk Island, New Zealand, Bermuda, Mexico and the United States (Oregon, California, Texas, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia)^[18] and South America.^[19]

Uses

Narcissus tazetta is grown commercially for its essential oil, mostly in southern France. An interspecies hybrid, with Narcissus poeticus, is also grown for its essential oil.^[20]

References