Muscari neglectum

Grape hyacinth
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Order:	Asparagales
Family:	Asparagaceae
Subfamily:	Scilloideae
Genus:	Muscari
Subgenus:	Muscari subg. Muscari
Species:	M. neglectum
Binomial name
Muscari neglectum Guss. ex Ten. & Sangiov.
Synonyms [1]
Synonymy Botryanthus breviscapusTod. Botryanthus mandraliscaeLojac. Botryanthus mordoanus(Heldr.) Nyman Botryanthus neglectus(Guss. ex Ten. & Sangiov.) Kunth Botryanthus neglectus subsp. odorusO.Bolòs & Vigo Botryanthus neglectus var. speciosa(Marches.) Nyman Botryanthus odorusKunth Botryanthus racemosus(L.) Fourr. Botryanthus sauliiJaub. & Spach Botryanthus speciosus(Marches.) Nyman Etheiranthus jacquiniiKostel. Eubotrys odorataRaf. Hyacinthus juncifoliusLam. Hyacinthus neglectus(Guss. ex Ten.) E.H.L.Krause Hyacinthus racemosusL. Leopoldia neumayeriHeldr. Muscari ammophilumSennen Muscari atlanticum subsp. alpinum(Fiori) Garbari Muscari bootanenseGriff. Muscari botryoides var. bucharicumRegel Muscari breviscapum(Tod.) N.E.Br. Muscari bucharicumRegel Muscari conilliiSennen Muscari dolioliformeSobko Muscari elwesiiBaker Muscari flaccidumO.Schwarz Muscari grossheimiiSchchian Muscari letourneuxiiBoiss. Muscari leucostomumWoronow Muscari macranthumFreyn Muscari marianicumPau Muscari mordoanumHeldr. Muscari neglectum f. bertramiiMaire Muscari neglectum var. macranthum(Freyn) Eker Muscari neglectum subsp. odorumO.Bolòs & Vigo Muscari neglectum subsp. speciosum(Marches.) Garbari Muscari neumayeri(Heldr.) Boiss. Muscari nivaleStapf Muscari odoratumMontandon Muscari racemosum(L.) Medik. (1793), nom. illeg. Muscari racemosum lusus albiflorumSoó ex Priszter Muscari racemosum var. alpinumFiori Muscari racemosum lusus pallidumPriszter Muscari racemosum var. neglectum(Guss. ex Ten.) St.-Lag. Muscari racemosum subsp. neglectum(Guss. ex Ten. & Sangiov.) Corb. Muscari skorpiliVelen. Muscari speciosumMarches. Muscari szovitsianumRupr. ex Boiss. Muscari vandasiiVelen. Muscari vinyalsiiSennen Scilla suaveolensSalisb.

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 ^[2] or starch grape hyacinth. ^[3] 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.

Description

Muscari neglectum is a herbaceous plant growing from a bulb. The flower stems are 5–20 cm tall. The flowers are arranged in a spike or raceme and are dark blue with white lobes at their tips (teeth); there may be a cluster of paler sterile flowers at the top of the spike. ^[4] The raceme is 2–6 cm long. The fruit is a 3-celled capsule with two ovules in each cell. ^[5]

It is a very well known species in cultivation (being described as the "common" grape hyacinth by Brian Mathew); ^[4] it increases rapidly and can become invasive.

Range

The native range of Muscari neglectum extends around the Mediterranean basin including North Africa, Southern Europe, and Western Asia, and to Central Europe, Ukraine, European Russia, the Caucasus, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Central Asia. ^[1]

Taxonomy

The name was attributed to Giovanni Gussone by Michele Tenore in a list of plants of the Neapolitan area published in 1842. The species has a confused nomenclatural history; Plants of the World Online lists 51 taxonomic synonyms. ^[1] The name M. racemosum is commonly found as a synonym for M. neglectum in the horticultural literature, ^[6] although the true M. racemosum Mill. is a different species. ^[7]

References

1. "Muscari neglectum Guss. ex Ten. & Sangiov". Plants of the World Online . Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved 4 September 2025.
2. 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. 114
3. NRCS. "Muscari neglectum". PLANTS Database. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 15 July 2015.
4. Mathew, Brian (1987), The Smaller Bulbs, London: B.T. Batsford, ISBN   978-0-7134-4922-8 , p. 127
5. Cullen, James; Knees, Sabina G.; Cubey, H. Suzanne (2011). The European Garden Flora Flowering Plants: A Manual for the Identification of Plants Cultivated in Europe, Both Out-of-Doors and Under Glass. The Cambridge University Press. p. 124. ISBN   978-0521761475.
6. See, e.g., Mathew 1987 , p. 127
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 "Muscari racemosum"

External links

• "Muscari neglectum". Integrated Taxonomic Information System.