Muscari

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Muscari
Muscari Neglectum.jpg
M. neglectum
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Asparagaceae
Subfamily: Scilloideae
Genus: Muscari
Mill.
Species

See text

Muscaris, 1929 illustration by Eugene-Jules Eudes. Muscaris-J.Eudes-06.JPG
Muscaris, 1929 illustration by Eugène-Jules Eudes.

Muscari is a genus of perennial bulbous plants native to Eurasia that produce spikes of dense, most commonly blue, urn-shaped flowers resembling bunches of grapes in the spring. The common name for the genus is grape hyacinth (a name which is also used for the related genera Leopoldia and Pseudomuscari , which were formerly included in Muscari), but they should not be confused with hyacinths. A number of species of Muscari are used as ornamental garden plants.

Contents

Description

The genus Muscari originated in the Old World, including the Mediterranean basin, central and Southern Europe, northern Africa, western, central and south-western Asia. It has become naturalized elsewhere, including Northern Europe and the United States. [1]

Brian Mathew says that many species of grape hyacinths, including not only Muscari but also the related Leopoldia and Pseudomuscari , are difficult to distinguish. [2] They usually have one or more narrow leaves which arise from a bulb. The flowers appear in the spring and form a spike or raceme, being held in a close or loose spiral around a central stalk. The flowers often become less tightly spaced as the flower matures. The flower colour varies from pale blue to a very dark blue, almost black in some cases (albino forms are also known). In some species, the upper flowers may be of a different colour and shape to the lower flowers. Individual flowers are composed of six fused tepals forming a spherical to obovoid shape, constricted at the end to form a mouth around which the ends of the tepals show as small lobes or "teeth", which may be of a different colour to the rest of the tepal. [2]

Taxonomy

The use of muscari as part of the name of at least some of the species included in the modern genus can be traced back to Carolus Clusius in 1601, long before the modern rules of botanical nomenclature were established. [3] In 1753, Carl Linnaeus used the name Hyacinthus muscari for the plant now called Muscari racemosum . [4] In 1754, Philip Miller formally established the genus Muscari according to modern rules of nomenclature. [3] The name muscari comes from the Greek muschos, musk, referring to the scent. [5]

Classified in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae, [6] the genus was formerly placed in the Liliaceae as a member of the tribe Hyacintheae. There are about forty species. The genus was at one time divided into four groups or subgenera: Botryanthus, Pseudomuscari, Leopoldia and Muscarimia. [2] Pseudomuscari and Leopoldia are now treated as separate genera. [7] The genus Muscari is now more or less equivalent to the Botryanthus group.

A complication in splitting up the broad genus is that Miller's original Muscari included representatives of at least three of the new genera. Which one should retain the name Muscari would normally be decided by where the type species was placed; however, Miller did not designate a type species, although the etymology of the genus name points to the species Linnaeus called Hyacinthus muscari (now Muscari racemosum). [3]

The Muscarimia group are retained in Muscari by the Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families . Two species have been placed in this group: M. macrocarpum and M. racemosum (under the name M. muscarimi). [2]

Species

As of  2023, the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families accepts 79 species, including: [1]

The names of some of the species are somewhat confused, especially in the horticultural literature. Thus the name M. racemosum is commonly found as an incorrect synonym for M. neglectum, with M. muscarimi or M. moschatum being used for the true M. racemosum. [8] Muscari fatmacereniae was recently described from Turkey. [9]

Species now allocated to other genera

Cultivation

Some species are among the earliest garden flowers to bloom in the spring. They are planted as bulbs and tend to multiply quickly (naturalise) when planted in good soils. They prefer well drained sandy soil, that is acid to neutral and not too rich. Naturally found in woodlands or meadows, they are commonly cultivated in lawns, borders, rock gardens and containers. They require little feeding or watering in the summer, and sun or light shade.[ citation needed ]

The UK National Collection of Muscari is held by Richard Hobbs at his Witton Lane garden in Little Plumstead, Norfolk, which he shares with his partner Sally Ward. [13]

Cultivars

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hyacinth</span> Genus of flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae

Hyacinthus is a small genus of bulbous, spring-blooming perennials. They are fragrant flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae and are commonly called hyacinths. The genus is native to the area of the eastern Mediterranean from the south of Turkey to Palestine, although naturalized more widely.

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

Scilla is a genus of about 30 to 80 species of bulb-forming perennial herbaceous plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae. Sometimes called the squills in English, they are native to woodlands, subalpine meadows, and seashores throughout Europe, Africa and the Middle East. A few species are also naturalized in Australasia and North America. Their flowers are usually blue, but white, pink, and purple types are known; most flower in early spring, but a few are autumn-flowering. Several Scilla species are valued as ornamental garden plants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scilloideae</span> Subfamily of bulbous monocot plants

Scilloideae is a subfamily of bulbous plants within the family Asparagaceae. Scilloideae is sometimes treated as a separate family Hyacinthaceae, named after the genus Hyacinthus. Scilloideae or Hyacinthaceae include many familiar garden plants such as Hyacinthus (hyacinths), Hyacinthoides (bluebells), Muscari and Scilla and Puschkinia. Some are important as cut flowers.

<i>Muscari racemosum</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae

Muscari racemosum is a perennial bulbous flowering plant in the asparagus family Asparagaceae. The members of the genus are commonly known as grape hyacinths. Originally from south-west Turkey where it grows in rocky places, it is sometimes grown as an ornamental plant. It may be found in the horticultural literature under the synonym Muscari muscarimi.

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

Bellevalia is a genus of plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae. It was first described as a genus in 1808.

<i>Scilla luciliae</i> Species of plant in the family Asparagaceae

Scilla luciliae is a species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae. It is referred to by the common names Bossier's glory-of-the-snow or Lucile's glory-of-the-snow, and is a bulbous perennial from western Turkey that flowers in early spring. After flowering, it goes into dormancy until the next spring. The specific epithet is in honour of Lucile, the wife of the Swiss botanist Pierre Edmond Boissier (1810-1885). It belongs to a group of Scilla species that were formerly put in a separate genus, Chionodoxa, and may now be treated as Scilla sect. Chionodoxa.

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

Puschkinia is a genus of four known species of bulbous perennials in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae. It is native to the Caucasus and the Middle East. Puschkinia scilloides is grown as an ornamental bulbous plant.

<i>Scilla <span style="font-style:normal;">sect.</span> Chionodoxa</i> Section of plants in the genus Scilla

Scilla section Chionodoxa, known as glory-of-the-snow, is a small group of bulbous perennial flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae. Formerly treated as the separate genus Chionodoxa, they are now included in Scilla as a section. The section is endemic to the eastern Mediterranean, specifically Crete, Cyprus and Turkey. The blue, white or pink flowers appear early in the year making them valuable garden ornamentals. The common name of the group is based on the habit of flowering in high alpine zones when the snow melts in spring.

<i>Muscari neglectum</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae

Muscari neglectum is a perennial bulbous flowering plant in the asparagus family Asparagaceae. Members of this genus are commonly known as grape hyacinths, and M. neglectum is known as common grape hyacinth or starch grape hyacinth. Muscari are perennial bulbous plants native to Eurasia. They produce spikes of dense, commonly blue, urn-shaped flowers. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental plant, for example, in temperate climates as a spring bulb.

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

Leopoldia is a genus of bulbous perennial plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae. The genus is widespread around the Mediterranean region and neighboring lands, from the Canary Islands to Iran.

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

Pseudomuscari is a genus of bulbous perennials in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae. They were formerly included in the genus Muscari. Species of Pseudomuscari have flowers in shades of pale or bright blue, and are small plants with dense flower spikes or racemes. A feature which distinguishes them from Muscari is the bell-shaped flower which is not constricted at the mouth. One species, P. azureum, is popularly grown in gardens as an ornamental Spring-flowering plant.

<i>Muscari macrocarpum</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae

Muscari macrocarpum is a perennial bulbous flowering plant in the asparagus family Asparagaceae. It is one of a number of species known as Grape Hyacinth, in this case Yellow Grape Hyacinth. Originally from eastern Crete, Amorgos and south-west Turkey, where it grows in rocky places, it is sometimes grown as an ornamental plant.

<i>Leopoldia comosa</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae

Leopoldia comosa is a perennial bulbous plant. Usually called the tassel hyacinth or tassel grape hyacinth, it is one of a number of species and genera also known as grape hyacinths. It is found in rocky ground and cultivated areas, such as cornfields and vineyards in the Mediterranean region, but has naturalized elsewhere. In southern Italy and Greece, its bulb is a culinary delicacy.

<i>Muscari aucheri</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae

Muscari aucheri, Aucher-Éloy grape hyacinth, is a species of flowering plant in the squill subfamily Scilloideae of the asparagus family Asparagaceae. It is a perennial bulbous plant, one of a number of species and genera known as grape hyacinths. Originally from Turkey, where it grows in grassy alpine areas, it is sometimes grown as an ornamental plant. The synonym M. tubergenianum may be found in the horticultural literature.

<i>Pseudomuscari azureum</i> Species of flowering plant

Pseudomuscari azureum, the azure grape hyacinth, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae, native to Turkey. A bulbous perennial, it is grown in gardens for its spring flowers. The Latin specific epithet azureum means "bright blue", a reference to its flower colour.

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

Hyacinthella is a genus of bulbous flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae. It is native to eastern and south-eastern Europe through to northern Iran, reaching as far south as Palestine. Turkey is the main country in which species are found.

Alrawia is a genus of bulbous flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae. It is native to north-eastern Iraq and Iran.

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

Daubenya is a genus of bulbous flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae. It is native to the Cape Province of South Africa.

Namophila is a monotypic genus of bulbous flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae. The sole species Namophila urotepala is found only in Namibia.

<i>Pseudomuscari chalusicum</i> Species of flowering plant

Pseudomuscari chalusicum, the Chalus grape hyacinth, is a species of flowering plant in the squill subfamily Scilloideae of the asparagus family Asparagaceae, native to Iran. Chalus is a county in northern Iran. Growing to about 15 cm (5.9 in) in height, it is a bulbous perennial with floppy, curved leaves sitting close to the ground, and small clusters of bell-shaped flowers on erect stems, appearing in mid-spring. The flower colour is pale blue at the tip, shading downwards to a darker blue. Unlike some other Muscari species, it does not spread rapidly.

References

  1. 1 2 WCSP (2023), Muscari, in World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew , retrieved 2023-03-01, select "Taxonomic rank" > "Species"; and click on "Accepted names only".
  2. 1 2 3 4 Mathew, Brian (1987), The Smaller Bulbs, London: B.T. Batsford, ISBN   978-0-7134-4922-8 , pp. 124–130
  3. 1 2 3 Garbari, F. & Greuter, W. (1970), "On the Taxonomy and Typification of Muscari Miller (Liliaceae) and Allied Genera, and on the Typification of Generic Names", Taxon, 19 (3): 329–335, doi:10.2307/1219056, JSTOR   1219056
  4. ↑ WCSP (2011), World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew , retrieved 2011-11-14, search for "Muscari racemosum"
  5. ↑ Hyam, R. & Pankhurst, R.J. (1995), Plants and their names : a concise dictionary, Oxford: Oxford University Press, ISBN   978-0-19-866189-4 , p. 330
  6. ↑ Stevens, P.F., Angiosperm Phylogeny Website: Asparagales: Scilloideae
  7. ↑ WCSP (2011), World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew , retrieved 2011-11-14, search for "Pseudomuscari" or "Leopoldia"
  8. ↑ See, e.g., Mathew 1987
  9. ↑ Eker, İsmai̇l (2019-03-14). "Muscari fatmacereniae (Asparagaceae, Scilloideae), a new species from southern Anatolia". Phytotaxa. 397 (1): 99–106. doi:10.11646/phytotaxa.397.1.10. ISSN   1179-3163. S2CID   92768403.
  10. ↑ "Muscari azureum Fenzl". powo.science.kew.org. World Checklist. Retrieved 2023-03-01.
  11. ↑ "Muscari comosum (L.) Mill". powo.science.kew.org. World Checklist. Retrieved 2023-03-01.
  12. ↑ "Bellevalia paradoxa (Fisch. & C.A. Mey.) Boiss". powo.science.kew.org. World Checklist. Retrieved 2023-03-01.
  13. ↑ "The National Collection of Muscari at Witton Lane". Norfolk Plant Heritage. 31 July 2019. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
  14. ↑ Anon. (October 2011), "Plant forum: new and interesting plants", The Garden, 136 (10): 11
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