Description
(formerly Leucojum longifolium)
A rare native of Corsica with stems of up to 25 cm (though it is usually shorter than this) crowned with up to three white, or very faintly pink, bells in April-May, along with very thin leaves which are about as long as the flower stems. The ovary is quite prominent in this species being larger, in relation to the flower size, than in many species. Acis longifolia is a spring-flowering species though its overall appearance is a little like that of L. autumnalis rather than the other spring species but it also has a superficial resemblance to a sort of grown-up Acis rosea.
Not difficult, but perhaps best grown in a pot under glass as it is slender and quite small and by repute it may be a tiny touch tender. We have not found it any more tender than the other Acis species, but there is the possibility that it is susceptible to severe freezes especially if the pot is frozen through. Very little seen both in the wild and in cultivation. (incidentally, at least two of the pictures shown as this species on Wikipedia, show Brimeura fastigiata rather than Acis longifolia) and the autumnal Acis ionica also masquerades as this species in horticulture.
