Practical
Plants

Narcissus tazetta

Bunchflower Daffodil

a member of the Narcissus genus in the family Amaryllidaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Height
0.5 m
Spread
0.1 m
Fertility
Bees
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Bees

Uses

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Demulcent[3][4]. Used in the treatment of boils and mastitis[3]. The root is emetic[8]. It is used to relieve headaches[8]. The chopped root is applied externally as an antiphlogistic and analgesic poultice to abscesses, boils and other skin complaints[7]. The plant has a folklore of effectiveness against certain forms of cancer. This might be due to benzaldehyde changing to laetrile-like compounds or to lycorine changing to lycobetaine-like compounds in the body[7].

Product or use
Analgesic
Product or use
Antiphlogistic
Product or use
Cancer
Product or use
Demulcent
Product or use
Emetic
Product or use
Poultice

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

An essential oil obtained from the flowers is used in perfumery[2].

Product or use
Essential

Environment

Range
Europe to E. Asia.
Habitat
Fields, meadows and garigue, especially in damp places, in the Mediterranean[10].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 8+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay, heavy clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline, very alkaline
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. A short stratification will improve the germination of stored seed. Sow the seed thinly so that the seedlings can be left undisturbed in the pot for their first two years of growth. Give them an occasional liquid feed in the growing season to ensure they do not become nutrient deficient. When the plants become dormant in the summer, pot up the small bulbs placing 2 - 3 bulbs in each pot. Grow them on for another one or two years in the greenhouse before planting them out when they are dormant in late summer. Division of bulbs after the leaves die down in early summer[1]. Larger bulbs can be replanted immediately into their permanent positions, or can be stored in a cool place and then be planted out in the autumn. It is best to pot up the smaller bulbs and grow them on for a year before planting them out when dormant in the autumn.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Prefers a deep rather stiff soil but succeeds in most soils and situations[1]. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Prefers an alkaline soil with a pH between 7 and 8[5]. Best grown in a warm sunny corner with shelter from cold winds[9]. The dormant bulbs will withstand soil temperatures down to at least -5°c[6]. A polymorphic species[5]. Cultivated for its essential oil[2]. The flowers are very powerfully scented[9]. The sub-species N. tazetta chinensis. Roemer. is used in Japanese medicine[3].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  2. Hill. A. F. Economic Botany. The Maple Press 1952-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  3. Kariyone. T. Atlas of Medicinal Plants.

    ↩1↩2↩3

  4. Stuart. Rev. G. A. Chinese Materia Medica. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre

    ↩

  5. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2

  6. Matthews. V. The New Plantsman. Volume 1, 1994. Royal Horticultural Society 1994-00-00 ISBN 1352-4186

    ↩

  7. Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985-00-00 ISBN 0-917256-20-4

    ↩1↩2

  8. Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. 1986-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  9. Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994-00-00 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8

    ↩1↩2

  10. Polunin. O. and Huxley. A. Flowers of the Mediterranean. Hogarth Press 1987-00-00 ISBN 0-7012-0784-1

    ↩

Edit this page