Pancratium maritimum

Sea daffodil
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Amaryllidaceae
Subfamily: Amaryllidoideae
Genus: Pancratium
Species:
P. maritimum
Binomial name
Pancratium maritimum
Synonyms
  • P. angustifolium M. Roem.
  • Hymenocallis maritima (L.) M.Roem.
  • Pancratium carolinianum L.
  • Scilla parva Garsault
  • Hymenocallis lacera Salisb.
  • Hymenocallis caroliniana (L.) Herb.
  • Hymenocallis ruizii M.Roem.
  • Pancratium aegyptiacum M.Roem.
  • Pancratium abchasicum Regel
  • Pancratium maritimum var. aureum Pynaert
  • Pancratium angustifolium Lojac. 1909, illegitimate homonym, not M.Roem. 1847
  • Pancratium barcinonense Sennen
  • Pancratium mirennae Mattei
  • Pancratium linosae Soldano & F.Conti

Pancratium maritimum, or sea daffodil, is a species of bulbous plant native to both sides of the Mediterranean region and Black Sea from Portugal, Morocco and the Canary Islands east to Turkey, Syria, Israel and the Caucasus. In the parts of its range on the south Bulgarian and north Turkish and Georgian coasts of Black Sea. It is also naturalized in southern California, Bermuda and the Azores.

Pancratium maritimum grows on beaches and coastal sand dunes, often with much of the leaves and scapes buried in the sand. Other vernacular names are sea lily, sand daffodil, sand lily and lily of St. Nicholas, (although it is not a true lily). The specific epithet maritimum means "of the sea".