Narthecium ossifragum

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Narthecium ossifragum
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Monocots
Order: Dioscoreales
Family: Nartheciaceae
Genus: Narthecium
Species: N. ossifragum
Binomial name
Narthecium ossifragum
(L.) Huds.

Narthecium ossifragum, commonly known as bog-, Lancashire- or bastard asphodel, is a plant of Western Europe, found on wet, boggy moorlands up to about 1000 m in elevation. It produces spikes of bright yellow flowers in summer. The bright orange fruits have been used as a colourant to replace saffron by Shetland Islanders.[1] Despite the plant's English name, it is not particularly closely related to the true asphodels.

The Latin name means "weak bone", and refers to a traditional belief that eating the plant caused sheep to develop brittle bones. The probable origin of this story is that sheep eating a calcium-poor diet are likely to develop bone weakness, and N. ossifragum favours acidic, low calcium soils.[1]

The plant causes a disease of sheep called alveld, "elf fire", in Norway. Not all stands of the plant are toxic, and the toxicity may be the side effect of the plant's response to a fungal infection.[2][3][4]

It can be found in purple moor grass and rush pastures.

It is tufted, hairless perennial. The leaves are narrow.[5]

Gallery

  • Narthecium ossifragum in flower

  • N. ossifragum flower

  • N. ossifragum fruiting

  • N. ossifragum in fruit

  • N. ossifragum, in situ near El Serrat, Andorra

Illustrations

  • Narthecium ossifragum
    Illustration in:
    Jakob Sturm: "Deutschlands Flora in Abbildungen",
    Stuttgart (1796)

  • Narthecium ossifragum
    Illustration in:
    Jakob Sturm: "Deutschlands Flora in Abbildungen",
    Stuttgart (1796)
    clean version

  • Narthecium ossifragum
    Drawing by
    Elly Waterman

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Narthecium ossifragum.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Richard Mabey Flora Britannica
  2. ↑ Handbook of Plant and Fungal Toxicants by J. P. Felix D'Mello
  3. ↑ George B. B. Mitchell, 'Non-parasitic skin diseases of sheep' In Pract., Vol. 10, Issue 2, 69-73, March 1, 1988
  4. ↑ Arne Flåøyen, 'Studies on the aetiology and pathology of alveld'
  5. ↑ Sterry, Paul (2006). Complete British wild flowers. London: Collins. ISBN 978-0-00-720469-4. 
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