Mountain Ixiolirion

Family Amaryllidaceae It occurs in the Southern Transcaucasia, mountain regions of Turkmenistan, and Asia Minor.

The confusion starts with the names. Today the flower is called the Tatar ixiolirion (Ixiolirion tataricum), but this name has no connection with modern Tatarstan or the Mongol-Tatars. The plant inhabits Asia Minor and the Caspian region; its range extends from Syria and Israel, through Iraq and northern Iran, southern Turkmenistan to the Tien Shan. Another name — i. montanum (I.montanum) — is also not very well justified, since the plant prefers not the mountains themselves but steppe slopes and mountain foothills. The English name "Lily of the Altay" (Lily of Altay), as well as the widespread indication of its origin from Siberia, are not accurate. By the way, the flower has another name — I. pallasii (I.pallasii), which was given to it in honor of the great geographer and naturalist Peter Simon Pallas, one of the founders of Russian geography, botany, zoology, ethnography and geology.

Bulbous perennial. Bulb ovoid, about 3 cm wide and up to 7 cm long. Stems erect, leafy, up to 40-60 cm tall. Lower leaves linear, pointed, grooved, up to 25 cm long. Flowers up to 4 cm in diameter, in terminal, few-flowered (4-6 flowers), racemose inflorescences, flower stalks thin, long. Perianth bell-shaped or funnel-shaped, lilac-blue. Flowers in the first half of June for 15-20 days. Fruit - a leathery capsule, with black angular seeds. In cultivation since 1874.

based on materials from the website www.flower.onego.ru