| Muscari latifolium | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Asparagaceae |
| Subfamily: | Scilloideae |
| Genus: | Muscari |
| Species: | M. latifolium |
| Binomial name | |
| Muscari latifolium | |
Muscari latifolium, the broad-leaved grape hyacinth, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae. The Latin specific epithet latifolium means "broad-leaved". [1]
It is a bulbous perennial geophyte, reaching a height of 15–40 cm (6–16 in), rarely 50 cm (20 in). There are usually one, rarely two leaves present. These are 7–30 cm (3–12 in) long and 1 to 3 cm wide, upright, wide and linear to ovate-lanceolate. They are drawn together and often hood-shaped. The flower stem is slightly longer than the leaves. The inflorescence is a raceme 2 to 6 centimeters long and 1.5 centimeters wide. The fertile flowers at the base are 5 to 6 mm long and 3 mm wide, oblong-shaped and a deep purple colour. The sterile flowers at the top are 4–8 mm long and pale lilac or blue. The flowering period extends from April to May in the Northern Hemisphere. [2]
M. latifolium is found in southern and western Turkey, adjacent to sparse pine forests at altitudes from 1,100–1,800 m (3,609–5,906 ft).
Widely used as an ornamental plant in flower beds, M. latifolium is hardy to USDA Zone 5, [2] and in the British Isles and all of Europe down to −20 °C (−4 °F). It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. [3] [4]
Media related to Muscari latifolium at Wikimedia Commons