Bunch-flowered Daffodil

Appearance

''Narcissus tazetta'' is amongst the tallest of the narcissi, and can grow to a height of up to 80 cm, with thin, flat leaves up to 40 cm long and 15 mm wide. Umbels have as many as 8 flowers, white with a yellow corona.

Naming

Six subspecies are accepted by the ''World Checklist of Selected Plant Families'':

⤷  ''N. tazetta'' subsp. ''aureus'' Baker – south-east France, Sardinia, north-west Italy, Algeria, Morocco
⤷  ''N. tazetta'' subsp. ''canariensis'' Baker – Canary Islands
⤷  ''N. tazetta'' subsp. ''chinensis'' Masam. & Yanagih. – south-east China, Japan, South Korea
⤷  ''N. tazetta'' subsp. ''corcyrensis'' Baker – Corfu
⤷  ''N. tazetta'' subsp. ''italicus'' Baker syn. ''N. italicus'' – Mediterranean from southern France to Greece
⤷  ''N. tazetta'' subsp. ''tazetta'' – widely distributed from the western Mediterranean to Afghanistan

Distribution

''Narcissus tazetta'' is a widespread species, native to the Mediterranean region from Portugal to Turkey. It is also naturalized across the Middle East , Central Asia , Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal and Bhutan, as well as the Canary Islands, China , Japan, Australia, Korea, Norfolk Island, New Zealand, Bermuda, Mexico and the United States and South America.

Habitat

''Narcissus tazetta'' contains a fragrant compound found in only a few other plants, including roses and ''Acnistus arborescens'', called orcinol dimethyl ether, which is almost undetectable to the human nose. Experiments with honeybees have shown they can readily detect it.

Uses

''Narcissus tazetta'' is grown commercially for its essential oil, mostly in southern France. An interspecies hybrid, with ''Narcissus poeticus'', is also grown for its essential oil. A recent medicinal use is that a certain protein known as lectin has antiviral properties against influenza. This is based on a dose-dependent manner. The antiviral property results from the fact that it can inhibit RSV during the viral infection cycle and so the problem could not spread. The antiviral activity of the certain lectin group protein will usually have a greater effect during the earlier stages of the influenza. It has little cytotoxicity and great potential as an antiviral agent, so it has potential for further use in biotechnology research in the future.