Seasonal Wild Flowers

Latin name

Tristagma uniflorum

Other names

Ipheion, Ipheion uniflora

Family

Amaryllidaceae

Flowering season

April to May

English distribution

It is scattered throughout southern areas and parts of

the Northwest. It is most common in East Anglia, around

London and along the coast from Kent to Cornwall and

the Scillies.

See the BSBI distribution map for Spring Starflower

Habitat

It is a neophyte which was introduced in the 1830s and

known in the wild since the 1950s.

It has become naturalised on waste ground, in churchyards

and by roads.

It is on the increase.

Description

Spring Starflower is a bulbous, perennial herb, growing up

to 15cm.

Flowers are up to 5cm across and white to pale lilac.

Cultivated varieties may be other colours such as deep

blue.

There are 6 petals making up the star. Each petal has a

dark mid line  along its length.

There are 6 stamens with orange anthers.

The stigma is light green and capitate.

There is a corolla tube with purple-black markings running

up into the petals.

The leaves are narrow, green and slightly concave.