Bog Asphodels
What are they?
The bog asphodels are a group of yellow- or white-flowered plants that used to be placed in the lily family, but more recently have been assigned their own family - the Nartheciaceae. These are small plants with grass-like or iris-like leaves and with rather elaborate flowers, carried in quantity in an upright spike. The flowers have six tepals in two rows of three and the six stamens are prominent and very hairy on their filaments.
Where are they found?
Our single species is a plant of well-managed, acid bogs, typically with good quantities of sphagnum moss.
Identification
In a local context, the one species is easy to identify by a combination of its habitat requirement and its distinctive flowers.
Bog Asphodel Narthecium ossifragum
Rare in East Anglia and confined to just a handful of wet, acid bogs in West Norfolk - though it can be very common at the few sites that it favours. Flowers July to August. Flowers brilliant, golden-yellow, clustered in an upright spike and followed by orange seed capsules. Leaves iris-like with prominent, parallel veins.
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