Moraea sisyrinchium

Μελανούθκια, Μορέα το σισυρυγχίο

Etymology of Moraea sisyrinchium: The genus's name is a tribute to the English botanist Robert More †1780, collector of exotic plants. The specific epithet "sisyrinchium" is mentioned by Ancient Greek Theophrastus who called this plant as such: "σισυριγχίον, φυτόν τι βολβοειδές ἐκ τοῦ εἴδους τῆς Ἴριδος", translated as "shaggy goat's-hair coat (sisyrinchion), bulb plant from the Iris family". The epithet refers to the way the corm tunics resemble a shaggy goat's-hair coat, the "siryra" [σισύρα].

Moraea is a genus of plants in the family Iridaceae, first described as a genus in 1758 and includes dozens of species. Moraea sisyrinchium is the only Moraea species that is found in Cyprus, though.

Moraea sisyrinchium, despite the fact that exists all-around Cyprus, except for the Karpasia peninsula, is an uncommon plant, somehow difficult to encounter accidentally. It grows at an altitude of up to 825 metres, primarily on prairies. Moraea sisyrinchium's flowering period in Cyprus is between February and April.