Description
A fabulous species, limited to the Iberian peninsula from whence it was described as long ago as 1842. It makes stems up to about 45cm tall with smooth foliage, which is glaucous beneath. Each leaf is divided into many, narrowly elliptical, glabrous segments.
Above the foliage are held freely produced, bowl shaped flowers of bright pale pink, these tone to deep pink-rose at the petal edges whilst the whole bloom is contrasted with a central golden boss. Individual blooms can be from 8-15 cm in diameter. Under the flowers are densely tomentose follicles.
Becoming rare in the wild as progress and agriculture push back its already sparse distribution, it is now limited to the mountain areas of Spain and Portugal, but though rare it is totally growable. Our plants stem from seed collected in the environs of Alhama de Granada, S. Spain which was grown to flowering in cultivation and then seed was subsequently distributed by Will McClewin.
Garden soil, leaf enriched for best results, light shade and a site sheltered from strong winds.
