Twisted Bellevalia

Family Hyacinthaceae. These perennial bulbous plants with distinctive inflorescences of white flowers are found in forests around Ashkelon. The Hebrew name "zamzumit matsuya - the common" alludes to the sound of the bells ("zamzam" - buzzer).

Leaves broad, flat or partly curved into a tube, appear in winter. Flowering occurs in February-March. Flowers, resembling bells, with a perianth of white color, are gathered in cylindrical inflorescences. The inflorescence stalk is relatively long (15-30cm), zigzag-bent. Perianth, not narrowing toward the throat, is divided into lobes up to 1/4 of its length. The staminal filaments are attached at the base of the perianth lobes. Fruit - a capsule with 3 sharp edges. Seeds round, smooth, black. In Israel there are 11 wild species of Bellevalia. A related species - Bellevalia desertorum (B. desertorum) - differs by its lilac flowers, with the length of their lobes almost equal to the length of the perianth tube.