Hyacinthus is a small genus of bulbous, spring-blooming perennial, fragrant flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae. These are commonly called hyacinths. The genus is native to the eastern Mediterranean.
Scilla is a genus of about 50 to 80 bulb-forming perennial herbaceous plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae, native to woodlands, subalpine meadows, and seashores throughout Europe, Africa and the Middle-East. A few species are also naturalized in Australia, New Zealand 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.
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.
Ornithogalum is a genus of perennial plants mostly native to southern Europe and southern Africa belonging to the family Asparagaceae. Some species are native to other areas such as the Caucasus. Growing from a bulb, species have linear basal leaves and a slender stalk, up to 30 cm tall, bearing clusters of typically white star-shaped flowers, often striped with green. The common name of the genus, Star-of-Bethlehem, is based on its star-shaped flowers, after the Star of Bethlehem that appeared in the biblical account of the birth of Jesus. The number of species has varied considerably, depending on authority, from 50 to 300.
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, but they should not be confused with hyacinths. In the United States, they are also commonly referred to as bluebells, though certain regions reserve this name for bluebonnets instead. In Russia this plant is known also as «гадючий лук» or «мышиный гиацинт». A number of species of Muscari are used as ornamental garden plants.
Galtonia is a genus of plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae. Native to Southern Africa, the genus is named after Sir Francis Galton. According to some authorities it has been subsumed into Ornithogalum as a subgenus, while others prefer to keep it as a separate genus.
Muscari racemosum is a perennial bulbous plant, one of a number of species and genera known as grape hyacinth. 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.
Bellevalia is a genus of plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae. It was first described as a genus in 1808.
Puschkinia is a genus of three 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.
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.
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.
Drimia is a genus of flowering plants. In the APG IV classification system, it is placed in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae. When broadly circumscribed, the genus includes a number of other genera previously treated separately, including Litanthus, Rhodocodon, Schizobasis and Urginea.
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.
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 specific epithet azureum means "bright blue", a reference to its flower colour.
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.
Fessia is a genus of bulbous flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae. It is distributed from Iran to Central Asia and Pakistan.
Merwilla is a genus of bulbous flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae. It is distributed in southern Africa, from Zimbabwe to South Africa. This genus is named after the botanist Frederick Ziervogel Van der Merwe (1894–1968), who worked on this group.
Pseudogaltonia is a genus of bulbous flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae. It is distributed in southern Africa.
Scilla cretica is a species of flowering plant in the Asparagaceae family. It is referred to by the common name Cretan glory-of-the-snow, and is a bulbous perennial native to Crete, flowering in early spring. 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. It has not always been recognized as distinct from Scilla nana.
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.
