A SPECIAL FLOWER

Pancratium Maritimum




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 sand daffodil, sand lily and lily of St. Nicholas. The specific epithet maritimum means "of the sea". In Sarti village we have several flowers at the beach.



Pancratium: comes from the Greek and literally means “All Strength” (compare with “Pandocrator or Pandokrator”, the Almighty), perhaps referring to the supposed tonic properties of the plant (as described by Dioscorides and Theophrastus), or to the strength a plant must have to tolerate the extreme climate of the hot and dry summer beach.
Maritimum: comes from Latin and means “from the sea-coast”

Plant Family: Amaryllidaceae (Daffodil (Amaryllis) Family)