Scilla luciliae is a species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae.[2] It is referred to by the common names Bossier's glory-of-the-snow[3] or Lucile's glory-of-the-snow, and is a bulbousperennial 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).[4] 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.[5]
It is a low-maintenance naturalizer that can grow in zones 3 to 8.[clarification needed] Its blossom has a white center with lilac blue to violet blue petals.[6] Like all members of the former genus Chionodoxa, the bases of the stamens are flattened and closely clustered in the middle of the flower.
In other species of Scilla, the stamens are not flattened or clustered together.[7]
Each bulb produces two leaves, up to 8cm long and 2cm wide, and at most one flowering stem, up to 10cm long. The flowers are produced in a loose pyramidal raceme, with 2–3 flowers per stem, which face upwards. Each flower is up to 3.5cm across. The base of each tepal is white (as are the stamen filaments), producing a white 'eye'. The outer part of the tepals is violet-blue. The species can be distinguished from the commonest species grown in gardens, S. forbesii, by the much smaller number of slightly larger flowers per stem.[8]
It is a spring ephemeral as it disappears after blooming until the following spring, according to the Missouri Botanical Garden (MBG).[6]
Taxonomy
Swiss botanist Pierre Edmond Boissier (1810-1885) first described Chionodoxa luciliae Boiss. in 1844 in the Diagnoses Plantarum Orientalium novarum.[9] He named the flower that blooms in the snow, Chionodoxa, which is from the Greek chion meaning snow and doxa for glory.[6] Its specific epithet and common name in English –Lucile's glory-of-the-snow – is named after his wife. It is also called Bossier's glory-of-the-snow.[3]
In 1900 catalogue
By 1900, Chionodoxa luciliae was advertised in the Baltimore, Maryland-based Griffith and Turner seed catalogue, along with snowdrops and Scilla siberica as early spring bulbs.
Flower
Following a molecular and morphological analysis to establish its taxonomy, the genus Chionodoxa was sunk into the genus Scilla.[10] There was not enough difference between the two to merit a separate genus.[6][11] It is now designated as a section of Scilla — Scilla sect. Chionodoxa.[5][6] In 2009, Bohumil Trávníček and others proposed the division of the genus Scilla s.str. into two sections — one that comprised "all species of the S. bifolia group in the broader sense", and the second one sect. Chionodoxa containing taxa formerly in the genus Chionodoxa.[12] In 2010, as part of a doctoral dissertation research, the taxonomy, ecology and reproduction of the genus Chionodoxa were investigated.[13]
By 2005, according to Dashwood and Matthew, there was some confusion about nomenclature within the then genus Chionodoxa. They cited examples of C. siehei that was merged with C. forbesii after being known for many years as C. luciliae incorrectly. They said that cultivated plants are usually variants of C. siehei, not the true species C. forbesii.[16]
Distribution
Scilla luciliae is native to western Turkey.[1] It has a restricted distribution in the Mahmut Mountain in İzmir Province.[5] Almost all species that are very frost-hardy belong to the Hyacinthaceae family and originate in the region of the Mediterranean from Turkey to Asia.[16]
Scilla luciliae has naturalized in North America where the name used in concept references was chionodoxa luciliae and the common names were listed as Lucile's Squill and Scille gloire-des-neiges in French, according to the not-for-profit NatureServe Explorer, North America's "largest online encyclopedia of biodiversity".[17][18][19][20]
Cultivation
A number of frost-hardy plants in the genera Scilla, Chionodoxa, Hyacinthoides, Muscari, Puschkinia, Brimeura, Hyacinthella, Bellevalia, Hyacinthus and Ornithogalum were listed as deserving of the Award of Garden Merit by the Royal Horticultural Society.[16] To receive this award, plants must provide decorative excellence; be easily acquired; be hardy, and not require a specialist; they must be pest- and disease-resistant, and not likely to be subject to reversion.[16] In 1993 Chionodoxa luciliae was listed as having its Award of Garden Merit reconfirmed.[16] Plants in the trial were acquired from the United Kingdom, Denmark and the Netherlands.[16]Scilla luciliae had its Award of Garden Merit confirmed again in 2017.[21]
Flora of North America Editorial Committee (2002). Magnoliophyta: Liliidae: Liliales and Orchidales. Flora of North America North of Mexico. Vol.26. New York: Oxford University Press. p.723.
Kartesz, J.T. (1994). A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland (2ed.). Portland, Oregon: Timber Press.
ONHIC (2018), Chionodoxa luciliae, Ontario Natural Heritage Information Centre (ONHIC), Ministry of Natural Resources, Ontario, Canada
Plants of the World Online (n.d.). "Scilla luciliae (Boiss.) Speta". Plants of the World Online. The Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
Speta, Franz (1971). "Beitrag zur systematik von Scilla L. subgen. Scilla (inklusive Chionodoxa Boiss.)". Österreichische Botanische Zeitschrift. 119 (1–3): 6–18. doi:10.1007/BF01373105. ISSN0029-8948. S2CID26152307.
Trávníček, Bohumil; Duchoslav, Martin; Šarhanová, Petra; Šafářová, Lenka (24 December 2009). "Squills (Scilla s.lat., Hyacinthaceae) in the flora of the Czech Republic, with taxonomical notes on Central-European squill populations". Acta Musei Moraviae, Scientiae Biologicae. Brno, Czech Republic). 94: 157–205.
WCSP. "Scilla luciliae". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families.
Yildirim, H. (2010). The Taxonomy, Ecology and Reproduction of Genus Chionodoxa Boiss (Liliaceae) (Ph.D. dissertation). Kew: Ege University. p.223.
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.
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.
Scilla siberica, the Siberian squill or wood squill, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae, native to southwestern Russia, the Caucasus, and Turkey. Despite its name, it is not native to Siberia.
Botanical nomenclature is the formal, scientific naming of plants. It is related to, but distinct from taxonomy. Plant taxonomy is concerned with grouping and classifying plants; botanical nomenclature then provides names for the results of this process. The starting point for modern botanical nomenclature is Linnaeus' Species Plantarum of 1753. Botanical nomenclature is governed by the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (ICN), which replaces the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature (ICBN). Fossil plants are also covered by the code of nomenclature.
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.
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.
Scilla forbesii, known as Forbes' glory-of-the-snow, is a bulbous perennial plant from west Turkey flowering in early spring. It is considered synonymous with Scilla siehei, known as Siehe's glory-of-the-snow, by some sources, although others distinguish them. 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. After flowering, it goes into dormancy until the next spring. It seeds readily to form colonies.
Scilla sardensis, the lesser glory-of-the-snow, is a bulbous perennial from west Turkey flowering in early spring. After flowering, it goes into dormancy until the next 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.
Scilla nana, known as dwarf glory-of-the-snow, is a bulbous perennial flowering plant endemic to Crete. It flowers in early spring with flowers in shades of lilac blue. After flowering, it goes into dormancy until the next 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 cretica.
Scilla lochiae, known as Loch's glory-of-the-snow, is a bulbous perennial from Cyprus flowering in early spring. After flowering, it goes into dormancy until the next spring. It was named after Lady Loch who collected it. It belongs to a group of Scilla species that were formerly put in a separate genus, Chionodoxa, which may now be treated as Scilla sect. Chionodoxa.
Scilla bifolia, the alpine squill or two-leaf squill, is a herbaceous perennial plant growing from an underground bulb, belonging to the genus Scilla of the family Asparagaceae.
Scilla × allenii is a hybrid between two species of flowering plants, both of which are now placed in the genus Scilla. One of the parents is Scilla bifolia. As of March 2020, sources differ as to the identity of the other, which may be either Scilla forbesii or Scilla luciliae.
Scilla litardierei, the amethyst meadow squill or Dalmatian scilla, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae. A bulbous perennial, with blue grape-hyacinth like flowers, blooming in late spring, much later than the more popular Siberian squill and later than Muscari which it resembles.
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.
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.
Pseudoprospero is a genus of bulbous flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae. The genus has a single species Pseudoprospero firmifolium, which is endemic to South Africa.
Fritillaria gibbosa is a species of herbaceous perennial plant in the lily family Liliaceae. It is native to Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, and Transcaucasia.
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.
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