Grape hyacinth
Encyclopedia
Muscari is a genus of perennial bulbous
plants native to Eurasia
that produce spikes of dense, most commonly blue, urn-shaped flower
s resembling bunches of grape
s in the spring. The common name for the genus is Grape Hyacinth (a name which is also used for the genera Leopoldia
and Pseudomuscari
). Another common name is Baby's Breath. A number of species are used as ornamental garden plants.
, including the Mediterranean basin, central and southern Europe, northern Africa, western, central and south-western Asia. It has become naturalized elsewhere, including northern Europe and the United States.
Brian Mathew
says that many species of Grape Hyacinths, including not only Muscari but also the related Leopoldia
and Pseudomuscari
, are difficult to distinguish. They usually have one or more narrow leaves which arise from a bulb. The flowers appear in the spring and form a spike or raceme
, being held in a close or loose spiral around a central stalk. The flowers often become less tightly spaced as the flower matures. The flower colour varies from pale blue to a very dark blue, almost black in some cases (albino forms are also known). In some species the upper flowers may be of a different colour and shape to the lower flowers. Individual flowers are composed of six fused tepal
s forming a spherical to obovoid shape, constricted at the end to form a mouth around which the ends of the tepals show as small lobes or "teeth", which may be of a different colour to the rest of the tepal.
were established. In 1753, Carl Linnaeus used the name Hyacinthus muscari for the plant now called Muscari racemosum
. In 1754, Philip Miller
formally established the genus Muscari according to modern rules of nomenclature. The name muscari comes from the Greek muschos, musk, referring to the scent.
Classified in the family
Asparagaceae
, subfamily Scilloideae, the genus was formerly placed in the Liliaceae
as a member of the Hyacintheae tribe. There are about forty species. The genus was at one time divided into four groups or subgenera: Botryanthus, Pseudomuscari, Leopoldia and Muscarimia. Pseudomuscari
and Leopoldia
are now treated as separate genera. The genus Muscari is now more or less equivalent to the Botryanthus group.
A complication in splitting up the broad genus is that Miller's original Muscari included representatives of at least three of the new genera. Which one should retain the name Muscari would normally be decided by where the type species
was placed; however Miller did not designate a type species, although the etymology of the genus name points to the species Linnaeus called Hyacinthus muscari (now Muscari racemosum).
The Muscarimia group are retained in Muscari by the Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. Two species have been placed in this group: M. macrocarpum and M. racemosum (under the name M. muscarimi).
The names of some of the species are somewhat confused, especially in the horticultural literature. Thus the name M. racemosum is commonly found as an incorrect synonym for M. neglectum, with M. muscarimi or M. moschatum being used for the true M. racemosum.
s and tend to multiply quickly (naturalise) when planted in good soils. They prefer well drained sandy soil, that is acid to neutral and not too rich. Naturally found in woodlands or meadows, they are commonly cultivated in lawns, borders, rock gardens and containers. They require little feeding or watering in the summer, and sun or light shade.
Bulb
A bulb is a short stem with fleshy leaves or leaf bases. The leaves often function as food storage organs during dormancy.A bulb's leaf bases, known as scales, generally do not support leaves, but contain food reserves to enable the plant to survive adverse conditions. At the center of the bulb is...
plants native to Eurasia
Eurasia
Eurasia is a continent or supercontinent comprising the traditional continents of Europe and Asia ; covering about 52,990,000 km2 or about 10.6% of the Earth's surface located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres...
that produce spikes of dense, most commonly blue, urn-shaped flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s resembling bunches of grape
Grape
A grape is a non-climacteric fruit, specifically a berry, that grows on the perennial and deciduous woody vines of the genus Vitis. Grapes can be eaten raw or they can be used for making jam, juice, jelly, vinegar, wine, grape seed extracts, raisins, molasses and grape seed oil. Grapes are also...
s in the spring. The common name for the genus is Grape Hyacinth (a name which is also used for the genera Leopoldia
Leopoldia
Leopoldia is a genus of bulbous perennials in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae. They were formerly included in the genus Muscari , and like them are often called Grape Hyacinths...
and Pseudomuscari
Pseudomuscari
Pseudomuscari is a genus of bulbous perennials in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae. They were formerly included in the genus Muscari . Species of Pseudomuscari have flowers in shades of pale or bright blue, and are small plants with dense flower spikes or racemes...
). Another common name is Baby's Breath. A number of species are used as ornamental garden plants.
Description
The genus Muscari originated in the Old WorldOld World
The Old World consists of those parts of the world known to classical antiquity and the European Middle Ages. It is used in the context of, and contrast with, the "New World" ....
, including the Mediterranean basin, central and southern Europe, northern Africa, western, central and south-western Asia. It has become naturalized elsewhere, including northern Europe and the United States.
Brian Mathew
Brian Mathew
Brian Fredrick Mathew MBE is a British botanist, born in the village of Limpsfield, Surrey, England. His particular area of expertise is bulbous plants, although he has contributed to other fields of taxonomy and horticulture...
says that many species of Grape Hyacinths, including not only Muscari but also the related Leopoldia
Leopoldia
Leopoldia is a genus of bulbous perennials in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae. They were formerly included in the genus Muscari , and like them are often called Grape Hyacinths...
and Pseudomuscari
Pseudomuscari
Pseudomuscari is a genus of bulbous perennials in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae. They were formerly included in the genus Muscari . Species of Pseudomuscari have flowers in shades of pale or bright blue, and are small plants with dense flower spikes or racemes...
, are difficult to distinguish. They usually have one or more narrow leaves which arise from a bulb. The flowers appear in the spring and form a spike or raceme
Raceme
A raceme is a type of inflorescence that is unbranched and indeterminate and bears pedicellate flowers — flowers having short floral stalks called pedicels — along the axis. In botany, axis means a shoot, in this case one bearing the flowers. In a raceme, the oldest flowers are borne...
, being held in a close or loose spiral around a central stalk. The flowers often become less tightly spaced as the flower matures. The flower colour varies from pale blue to a very dark blue, almost black in some cases (albino forms are also known). In some species the upper flowers may be of a different colour and shape to the lower flowers. Individual flowers are composed of six fused tepal
Tepal
Tepals are elements of the perianth, or outer part of a flower, which include the petals or sepals. The term tepal is more often applied specifically when all segments of the perianth are of similar shape and color, or undifferentiated, which is called perigone...
s forming a spherical to obovoid shape, constricted at the end to form a mouth around which the ends of the tepals show as small lobes or "teeth", which may be of a different colour to the rest of the tepal.
Taxonomy
The use of muscari as part of the name of at least some of the species included in the modern genus can be traced back to Carolus Clusius in 1601, long before the modern rules of botanical nomenclatureInternational Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants
The International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants is the set of rules and recommendations dealing with the formal botanical names that are given to plants, fungi and a few other groups of organisms, all those "traditionally treated as plants"., Preamble, para...
were established. In 1753, Carl Linnaeus used the name Hyacinthus muscari for the plant now called Muscari racemosum
Muscari racemosum
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...
. In 1754, Philip Miller
Philip Miller
Philip Miller FRS was a Scottish botanist.Miller was chief gardener at the Chelsea Physic Garden from 1722 until he was pressured to retire shortly before his death...
formally established the genus Muscari according to modern rules of nomenclature. The name muscari comes from the Greek muschos, musk, referring to the scent.
Classified in the family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Asparagaceae
Asparagaceae
Asparagaceae is the botanical name of a family of flowering plants, placed in the order Asparagales of the monocots.In earlier classification systems, the species involved were often treated as belonging to the family Liliaceae...
, subfamily Scilloideae, the genus was formerly placed in the Liliaceae
Liliaceae
The Liliaceae, or the lily family, is a family of monocotyledons in the order Liliales. Plants in this family have linear leaves, mostly with parallel veins but with several having net venation , and flower arranged in threes. Several have bulbs, while others have rhizomes...
as a member of the Hyacintheae tribe. There are about forty species. The genus was at one time divided into four groups or subgenera: Botryanthus, Pseudomuscari, Leopoldia and Muscarimia. Pseudomuscari
Pseudomuscari
Pseudomuscari is a genus of bulbous perennials in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae. They were formerly included in the genus Muscari . Species of Pseudomuscari have flowers in shades of pale or bright blue, and are small plants with dense flower spikes or racemes...
and Leopoldia
Leopoldia
Leopoldia is a genus of bulbous perennials in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae. They were formerly included in the genus Muscari , and like them are often called Grape Hyacinths...
are now treated as separate genera. The genus Muscari is now more or less equivalent to the Botryanthus group.
A complication in splitting up the broad genus is that Miller's original Muscari included representatives of at least three of the new genera. Which one should retain the name Muscari would normally be decided by where the type species
Type species
In biological nomenclature, a type species is both a concept and a practical system which is used in the classification and nomenclature of animals and plants. The value of a "type species" lies in the fact that it makes clear what is meant by a particular genus name. A type species is the species...
was placed; however Miller did not designate a type species, although the etymology of the genus name points to the species Linnaeus called Hyacinthus muscari (now Muscari racemosum).
The Muscarimia group are retained in Muscari by the Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. Two species have been placed in this group: M. macrocarpum and M. racemosum (under the name M. muscarimi).
Species
, the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families accepts 42 species:- Muscari adilii M.B.Güner & H.Duman
- Muscari albiflorum (Täckh. & Boulos) Hosni
- Muscari alpanicum Schchian
- Muscari anatolicum Cowley & Özhatay
- Muscari armeniacumMuscari armeniacumMuscari armeniacum is an bulbous plant of the genus Muscari with basal, simple leaves and short, flowering stems. It is one of a number of species and genera known as Grape Hyacinth, in this case Armenian Grape Hyacinth. The flowers are purple, blue , or white and the plants are usually tall. M...
Leichtlin ex Baker - Muscari aucheriMuscari aucheriMuscari aucheri is a perennial bulbous plant, one of a number of species and genera known as Grape Hyacinth. Originally Turkey, where it grows in grassy alpine areas, it is sometimes grown as an ornamental plant. The name M. tubergenianum may be used in the horticultural literature.M...
(Boiss.) Baker - Muscari babachii Eker & Koyuncu
- Muscari baeticum Blanca
- Muscari botryoidesMuscari botryoidesMuscari botryoides is a bulbous perennial plant plant of the genus Muscari and one of a number of species and genera known as Grape Hyacinth. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental plant....
(L.) Mill. - Muscari bourgaei Baker
- Muscari cazorlanum C.Soriano & al.
- Muscari commutatum Guss.
- Muscari discolor Boiss. & Hausskn.
- Muscari dolichanthum Woronow & Tron
- Muscari fertile Ravenna
- Muscari filiforme Ravenna
- Muscari hermonense Ravenna
- Muscari hierosolymitanum Ravenna
- Muscari kerkis Karlén
- Muscari kurdicum Maroofi
- Muscari latifolium J.Kirk.
- Muscari lazulinum Ravenna
- Muscari longistylum (Täckh. & Boulos) Hosni
- Muscari macbeathianum Kit Tan
- Muscari macrocarpumMuscari macrocarpumMuscari macrocarpum is a perennial bulbous plant, one of a number of species and genera known as Grape Hyacinth, in this case Yellow Grape Hyacinth. Originally from eastern Crete, Amorgos and south-west Turkey, where it grows in rocky places, it is sometimes grown as an ornamental plant.M....
Sweet - Muscari massayanum C.Grunert
- Muscari matritensis Ruíz Rejón & al.
- Muscari microstomum P.H.Davis & D.C.Stuart
- Muscari mirum Speta
- Muscari neglectumMuscari neglectumMuscari neglectum is a perennial bulbous plant, one of a number of species and genera known as Grape Hyacinth and in particular Common Grape Hyacinth. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental plant.- Description :...
Guss. ex Ten., syn. Muscari racemosum (L.) Medik. nom. illeg. - Muscari olivetorum Blanca
- Muscari parviflorum Desf.
- Muscari pulchellum Heldr. & Sart.
- Muscari racemosumMuscari racemosumMuscari 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...
Mill., syn. Muscari muscarimi Medik. nom. illeg., Muscarimia muscari (L.) Losinsk., Muscari moschatum Willd. - Muscari salah-eidii (Täckh. & Boulos) Hosni
- Muscari sandrasicum Karlén
- Muscari sivrihisardaghlarensis Yild. & B.Selvi
- Muscari spreizenhoferi (Heldr. ex Osterm.) H.R.Wehrh.
- Muscari stenanthum Freyn
- Muscari tavoricum Ravenna
- Muscari turcicum Uysal et al.
- Muscari vuralii Bagci & Dogu
The names of some of the species are somewhat confused, especially in the horticultural literature. Thus the name M. racemosum is commonly found as an incorrect synonym for M. neglectum, with M. muscarimi or M. moschatum being used for the true M. racemosum.
Cultivation
Some species are among the earliest garden flowers to bloom in the spring. They are planted as bulbBulb
A bulb is a short stem with fleshy leaves or leaf bases. The leaves often function as food storage organs during dormancy.A bulb's leaf bases, known as scales, generally do not support leaves, but contain food reserves to enable the plant to survive adverse conditions. At the center of the bulb is...
s and tend to multiply quickly (naturalise) when planted in good soils. They prefer well drained sandy soil, that is acid to neutral and not too rich. Naturally found in woodlands or meadows, they are commonly cultivated in lawns, borders, rock gardens and containers. They require little feeding or watering in the summer, and sun or light shade.
Species and cultivars
- M. armeniacum is one of the most well known species in cultivation, being robust and increasing well. Cultivars listed by Mathew include 'Blue Spike', a double-flowered form, and 'Cantab', pale blue. Others are 'Album', 'Côte d'Azur', 'Peppermint', 'Fantasy Creation' and 'Saffier'.
- M. aucheri has flowers which vary from deep blue at the base to bright blue at the tip, with white teeth. The plant sold as M. tubergenianum is either a very robust form of this species or perhaps a hybrid of it. A number of cultivars are available, such as 'Blue Magic', 'White Magic', 'Mount Hood' and 'Dark Eyes' (the last has also been listed as a cultivar of M. armeniacum or M. botryoides).
- M. botryoides is said to be much less invasive than species such as M. neglectum; there is a white form.
- M. latifolium usually has only one rather wide leaf per bulb and flowers shading from deep indigo at the base to pale violet at the teeth.
- M. neglectum is another very well known species in cultivation; it increases rapidly and can become too invasive. The flowers are dark blue to blackish-blue, with white teeth; often there is a paler tuft of sterile flowers at the top of the spike.
- M. 'Pink Surprise' was described as "new" in 2011; it has pale pink flowers – a previously unknown colour in the genus – on 10 – stems.