Scilla section Chionodoxa, known as glory-of-the-snow, is a small group of bulbous perennial flowering plants in the familyAsparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae. Formerly treated as the separate genus Chionodoxa, they are now included in Scilla as a section.[2][3] 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.[4]
Species placed in Scilla sect. Chionodoxa are short bulbous plants. Each bulb produces two leaves, narrow at the base and broadening towards the tip.[5] The flowers have tepals that are joined at the base to between 15% and 40% of their total length. The filaments of the stamens are broadened, usually white (rarely blue in the upper part), with the lower part joined to the perianth. The anthers of the stamens are yellow (rarely blue), with pale yellow pollen. The pistil is hidden behind the stamens.[2]
Growth stages
Taxonomy
Close-up of a flower, showing the 'cup' formed by the flattened filaments of the stamens.
The taxon was first described as the genus Chionodoxa by Pierre Edmond Boissier in 1844.[6]Chionodoxa was distinguished from the genus Scilla by two features: the tepals are joined at their bases to form a tube rather than being free; and the stamens have flattened stalks (filaments), which look almost like a cup in the centre of the flower.[5] From the 1970s onwards, Speta in particular argued that perianth features were not informative in the family Hyacinthaceae (here subfamily Scilloideae), and that Chionodoxa was closely related to Scilla bifolia, the type species of the genus Scilla. A 1999 phylogenetic study, based on plastidDNA, included some species which have been placed in Chionodoxa and showed that they were embedded within Scilla. The relevant part of the cladogram is shown below (with recent names); two former Chionodoxa species are shaded in yellow.[7]
Submerging Chionodoxa within Scilla was resisted for a long time; for example Dashwood and Mathew kept Chionodoxa separate in 2005.[8] In 2009, Bohumil Trávníček and coauthors proposed treating the genus Chionodoxa as Scilla sect. Chionodoxa,[2] a proposal adopted by other workers.[3]
Species
The number of species accepted in the group has varied. Several of the species are very similar, and the number of species recognized as distinct has differed significantly from one source to another. For example, plants occurring in Crete have at one time or another been put into three species (then in the genus Chionodoxa): C. albescens, C. cretica and C. nana. In 1987, Sfikas' Wild flowers of Crete recognized only two of these (as C. cretica and C. nana);[9] in 1993, the Natural History Museum's checklist of the Cretan Flora recognized only one (Scilla nana).[10] In 2005, the Royal Horticultural Society distinguished between C. forbesii and C. siehei,[11] as did Yildirim et al. in 2017 (now using the genus Scilla). As of March2020[update], the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families sank S. siehei into S. forbesii.
As of March2020[update], the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families accepted the following species formerly placed in Chionodoxa:[12]
Scilla forbesii, syns Chionodoxa forbesii (Forbes' glory-of-the-snow), C. siehei (Siehe's glory-of-the-snow), C. tmoli, C. tmolusii – south-west and west Turkey
Scilla sardensis, syn. Chionodoxa sardensis (lesser glory-of-the-snow) – west Turkey
Distribution
Assuming there are six species, as listed above, three occur in south-west and west Turkey, two in Crete and one in Cyprus. Garden plants have naturalized outside of their native range, e.g. in the UK, Germany, Austria and the Netherlands. A natural hybrid S. siehei x S. luciliae also occurs.
Cultivation
Self-sown carpet of Scilla forbesii (syn. Chionodoxa siehei) under a deciduous shrub, flowering in early April in the West Midlands, England
There has been considerable confusion over the correct names of species grown in gardens, with the most common being called either Chionodoxa luciliae, C. forbesii or C. siehei. A 2005 Royal Horticultural Society publication which illustrated all three of these species stated that the most common garden species is properly called C. siehei.[11]C. siehei and C. forbesii are now regarded by other sources as synonyms of S. forbesii.
Three species were awarded the RHSAward of Garden Merit (H4 – hardy outdoors anywhere in the British Isles) in 1993 which was re-confirmed in 2004: S. luciliae,[13]S. sardensis,[14] and S. forbesii (as C. siehei).[15] (S. nana subsp. albescens was also given the award subject to availability.)
All can be bought as dry bulbs and planted while dormant in late summer or early autumn at a depth of 8–10cm. They require light when in growth, but can be grown under deciduous trees or shrubs, as their foliage dies down after flowering. All flower in early Spring, S. sardensis usually being the earliest. S. forbesii seeds freely in many gardens, and can create a carpet of blue.[8] In addition to the common purplish-blue varieties, S. forbesii is sold as pink and white cultivars (possibly under the name C. siehei).[5][16]
Mathew, Brian (1987), The Smaller Bulbs, London: B T Batsford, ISBN978-0-7134-4922-8
Mathew, Brian (2005), "Hardy Hyacinthaceae, Part 2: Scilla, Chionodoxa, xChionoscilla", The Plantsman, New Series, 4 (2): 110–21
Sfikas, George (1987), Wild Flowers of Crete, Athens: Efstathiadis, ISBN978-960-226-052-4
Turland, N.J.; Chilton, L.; Press, J.R & Natural History Museum (London) (1993), Flora of the Cretan Area: annotated checklist and atlas, London: HMSO, ISBN978-0-11-310043-9
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Chionodoxa .
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Eucomis is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae, native to southern Africa. Most species of this genus are commonly referred to as pineapple flowers or pineapple lilies. They are bulbous perennials with basal rosettes of leaves and stout stems covered in star-shaped flowers with a tuft of green bracts at the top, superficially resembling a pineapple – hence the common names.
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 from Crete flowering 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 × 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, it is grown for its blue grape-hyacinth like flowers, blooming in late spring, much later than the more popular Siberian squill and later than Muscari which it resembles. Originating in the western Balkans, it was introduced to Britain in 1827. It has become much more easily available since 2004.
Barnardia is a small genus of bulbous flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae. The genus has two species, one found in the Balearic Islands and north-west Africa, the other in east China, Korea, Japan and adjacent localities. It was suggested in 2012 that the two species were not closely related.
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.
Spetaea is a monotypic genus of bulbous flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae. The only known species Spetaea lachenaliiflora is found only in the south-west of the Cape Province in South Africa. Prior to 2003, it was incorrectly known as Scilla plumbea.
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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