Acis autumnalis

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Acis autumnalis
Acis autumnalis005.jpg
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Amaryllidaceae
Subfamily: Amaryllidoideae
Genus: Acis
Species:
A. autumnalis
Binomial name
Acis autumnalis
Synonyms [1]
  • Leucojum autumnaleL.

Acis autumnalis, the autumn snowflake, [2] is a species of flowering plant in the family Amaryllidaceae. A short bulbous perennial, it is found on the western shores of the Mediterranean, from Portugal, Spain and Morocco to Sicily and Tunisia.

Contents

Description

Acis autumnalis grows to about 10–15 cm tall. Its leaves are narrow, often seeming to form tufts, and usually only appear after the flowers. A. autumnalis flowers in late summer to autumn, with one to four flowers per stalk, each carried on a long, thin pedicel. The white tepals are 9–14 mm long, pinkish at the base, less commonly all pink. The outer three tepals are toothed. There is normally only one spathe at the base of the flowers. [2] [3]

Taxonomy

Acis autumnalis was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753, as Leucojum autumnale. [4] Richard Anthony Salisbury in 1807 in The Paradisus Londinensis was the first to suggest putting Leucojum autumnale in a new genus, Acis, [5] although he did not actually use the name Acis autumnale, which was first published in 1829 by Robert Sweet. [6] Most later botanists did not accept the distinction between Leucojum and Acis. [3] [7] The genus, and with it Acis autumnalis, was reinstated in 2004, after it was determined on morphological and molecular grounds that, when broadly defined, Leucojum is paraphyletic. [7]

The species has been divided into a number of varieties, differing in minor characters. For example, A. autumnalis var. diphyllum from North Africa has two spathes. [3] The World Checklist of Selected Plant Families regards all the varieties as part of a single species. [1]

Distribution and habitat

Acis autumnalis is found on both sides of the western Mediterranean. In Europe, it is native to Portugal, Spain (including the Balearic Islands), Sardinia and Sicily. In north Africa, it is native to Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. [1] It occurs in rocky places and stony hillsides. [2] [3]

Cultivation

Acis autumnalis is grown as an ornamental plant. It is recommended for light soils in sheltered positions in full sun. Some forms in cultivation increase rapidly from seeds, others from bulb division. [3] The species has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. [8]

Related Research Articles

<i>Galanthus</i> Genus of flowering plants in the family Amaryllidacee

Galanthus, or snowdrop, is a small genus of approximately 20 species of bulbous perennial herbaceous plants in the family Amaryllidaceae. The plants have two linear leaves and a single small white drooping bell-shaped flower with six petal-like (petaloid) tepals in two circles (whorls). The smaller inner petals have green markings.

<i>Brodiaea</i> Genus of flowering plants

Brodiaea, also known by the common name cluster-lilies, is a monocot genus of flowering plants of the family Themidaceae, in the order Asparagales.

<i>Leucojum</i> Genus of flowering plants in the family Amaryllidaceae

Leucojum is a small genus of bulbous plants native to Eurasia belonging to the Amaryllis family, subfamily Amaryllidoideae. As currently circumscribed, the genus includes only two known species, most former species having been moved into the genus Acis. Both genera are known as snowflakes.

<i>Acis</i> (plant) Genus of flowering plants in the family Amaryllidaceae

Acis is a genus of perennial, herbaceous and bulbous plants in the amaryllis family. The genus consists of nine species distributed in Europe and Northern Africa. Acis was previously included in Leucojum; both genera are known as snowflakes.

Sternbergia colchiciflora is a bulbous flowering plant in the family Amaryllidaceae, subfamily Amaryllidoideae, which is sometimes used as an ornamental plant. The species is native to southern Europe from Spain to Ukraine, as well as from Morocco, Algeria, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Iran and the Caucasus. It has yellow flowers which appear in autumn.

<i>Prospero</i> (plant) Genus of flowering plants

Prospero is a genus of bulbous flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae. It is distributed in Europe, around the Mediterranean, and through the Middle East to the Caucasus.

<i>The Paradisus Londinensis</i>

The Paradisus Londonensis is a book dated 1805–1808, printed by D.N. Shury, and published by William Hooker. It consists of coloured illustrations of 117 plants drawn by William Hooker, with explanatory text by Richard Anthony Salisbury.

Hannonia is a genus of plants in the Amaryllis family. It contains only one known species, Hannonia hesperidum, endemic to Morocco and confined to Western Morocco, Promontory of Hercules. The specific name comes from Greek έσπερος, of evening, as the flowers open in the late afternoon.

<i>Leucojum aestivum</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Amaryllidaceae

Leucojum aestivum, commonly called summer snowflake or Loddon lily, is a plant species widely cultivated as an ornamental. It is native to most of Europe from Spain and Ireland to Ukraine, with the exception of Scandinavia, Russia, Belarus and the Baltic countries. It is also considered native to Turkey, Iran and the Caucasus. It is naturalized in Denmark, South Australia, New South Wales, Nova Scotia and much of the eastern United States.

<i>Leucojum vernum</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Amaryllidaceae

Leucojum vernum, called spring snowflake, is a perennial bulbous flowering plant species in the family Amaryllidaceae that includes the onions, daffodils and Agapanthus. It is native to central and southern Europe from Belgium to Ukraine. It is considered naturalized in north-western Europe, including Great Britain and parts of Scandinavia, and in the US states of Georgia and Florida. It is cultivated as a spring-flowering ornamental bulbous plant. Usually a single white flower with greenish marks near the tip of each tepal is borne on a stem about 10–20 cm tall, occasionally more.

<i>Mandragora autumnalis</i> Species of plant

Mandragora autumnalis, known as mandrake or autumn mandrake, is recognized by some sources as a separate species from Mandragora officinarum, although with different circumscriptions. Others regard it as merely part of this very variable species. Plants given the name Mandragora autumnalis consist of a rosette of leaves up to 60 cm (2 ft) across, close to the ground, with a central group of usually purplish flowers followed by yellow or orange berries. The large tap-roots as well as the leaves contain alkaloids and are toxic. They have traditional uses as herbal medicines.

<i>Acis fabrei</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Amaryllidaceae

Acis fabrei is a bulbous flowering plant in the family Amaryllidaceae, native to France. It has white flowers that appear in late spring after the leaves. Although first collected in 1882, it was not scientifically described until 1990. It is now known from only four populations in the Vaucluse department in south-east France, around Mont Ventoux and the River Nesque. It is considered to be a "threatened species".

<i>Acis ionica</i> species of flowering plant in the family Amaryllidaceae

Acis ionica is a species of flowering plant in the family Amaryllidaceae, native from south-western Albania to western Greece. It was initially confused with what is now Acis valentina, a species found in Spain near Valencia.

Acis longifolia is a species of flowering plant in the family Amaryllidaceae, endemic to Corsica. Its white flowers appear in spring. It is sometimes cultivated as an ornamental plant, but is not fully frost-hardy.

<i>Acis nicaeensis</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Amaryllidaceae

Acis nicaeensis, sometimes called the French snowflake, is a species of flowering plant in the family Amaryllidaceae, native to south-eastern France. A small spring flowering bulb with white flowers, it is cultivated as an ornamental plant.

<i>Acis tingitana</i> species of flowering plant in the family Amaryllidaceae

Acis tingitana is a species of flowering plant in the family Amaryllidaceae, native to north Morocco. Rare in cultivation, it is not fully frost-hardy.

<i>Acis trichophylla</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Amaryllidaceae

Acis trichophylla is a species of flowering plant in the family Amaryllidaceae, native to Portugal, Spain and Morocco. It has very narrow leaves. The flowers are produced in late winter or early spring and are usually white, but sometimes pink-tinged or all pink. The species is cultivated as an ornamental bulb, but requires protection from hard frost.

<i>Acis valentina</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Amaryllidaceae

Acis valentina is a species of bulbous flowering plant in the family Amaryllidaceae, native to eastern Spain. Its white flowers appear in autumn. It can be grown as an ornamental bulb, but may need protection from hard frost.

Acis rosea, known as the rose snowflake, is a species of flowering plant in the family Amaryllidaceae, native to Corsica and Sardinia. Unlike most members of the genus Acis, it has pink rather than white flowers. It is grown as an ornamental plant but requires protection from frost.

<i>Galanthus reginae-olgae</i> species of flowering plant in the family Amaryllidaceae

Galanthus reginae-olgae, Queen Olga's snowdrop, is a species of flowering plant in the family Amaryllidaceae, native to Sicily and the west and north-west Balkans. Some variants produce their pendant white flowers in autumn, others in winter and early spring. It is cultivated as ornamental bulbous plant, preferring warmer situations in the garden than other species of Galanthus (snowdrops).

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Acis autumnalis", World Checklist of Selected Plant Families , Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew , retrieved 2017-05-27
  2. 1 2 3 Grey-Wilson, Christopher; Mathew, Brian & Blamey, Marjorie (1981), Bulbs : the bulbous plants of Europe and their allies, London: Collins, ISBN   978-0-00-219211-8 , p. 134 (as Leucoium autumnale)
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Mathew, Brian (1987), The Smaller Bulbs, London: B.T. Batsford, ISBN   978-0-7134-4922-8 , p. 120 (as Leucojum autumnale)
  4. "IPNI Plant Name Query Results for Leucojum autumnale", The International Plant Names Index , retrieved 2017-12-03
  5. Salisbury, R.A. & Hooker, W. (1805–1808), The Paradisus Londonensis : or Coloured Figures of Plants Cultivated in the Vicinity of the Metropolis, 1, London: W. Hooker (printer D.N. Shury), t. 74, doi:10.5962/bhl.title.53520, OCLC   1864969
  6. "IPNI Plant Name Query Results for Acis autumnalis", The International Plant Names Index , retrieved 2017-12-03
  7. 1 2 Lledó, Ma D.; Davis, A.P.; Crespo, M.B.; Chase, M.W. & Fay, M.F. (2004), "Phylogenetic analysis of Leucojum and Galanthus (Amaryllidaceae) based on plastid matK and nuclear ribosomal spacer (ITS) DNA sequences and morphology", Plant Systematics and Evolution, 246 (3–4): 223–243, doi:10.1007/s00606-004-0152-0, S2CID   43826738
  8. "Acis autumnalis", RHS Plant Selector, retrieved 2020-02-23