Hyacinthaceae
Encyclopedia
Scilloideae is a subfamily of the monocot family
Asparagaceae in the order
Asparagales
. The Scilloideae are bulb
ous flowering plants, which have sometimes been placed in a separate family, the Hyacinthaceae. The subfamily name is derived from the generic name
of the type
genus
, Scilla
. Some are popular spring-flowering garden bulbs, such as hyacinth (Hyacinthus), grape hyacinth
(Muscari), bluebell
(Hyacinthoides) and squill
(Scilla). Others are summer- and autumn-flowering, including Galtonia
and Eucomis
('pineapple lilies'). Most are native to the Mediterranean climate
and neighboring zones in South Africa
, the Mediterranean Basin
to Central Asia
and Burma, and South America
.
According to Stevens, there is considerable disagreement as to how genera should be defined in the Scilloideae, with different sources listing from 15 to 45 genera for sub-Saharan Africa. The subfamily thus contains anything between around 40 and 70 genera in up to 1000 species. Pfosser & Speta (1999) are one source of the higher figure. Some genera that were formerly placed within the Scillioideae (as Hyacinthaceae), e.g., Chlorogalum and Camassia
, are currently placed in the Agavoideae.
Morphologically the subfamily is characterised by having 6 tepals and 6 stamens with a superior ovary
; its members were included in the Liliaceae
in many older classification systems, such as the Cronquist system
. Other characteristics include rather fleshy mucilaginous leaves arranged in a basal rosette, and the production of poisonous substances (such as bufadienolide), making them inedible.
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 in the order
Order (biology)
In scientific classification used in biology, the order is# a taxonomic rank used in the classification of organisms. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, family, genus, and species, with order fitting in between class and family...
Asparagales
Asparagales
Asparagales is the name of an order of plants, used in modern classification systems such as the APG III system . The order takes its name from the family Asparagaceae and is placed in the monocots. The order has only recently been recognized in classification systems...
. The Scilloideae are bulb
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...
ous flowering plants, which have sometimes been placed in a separate family, the Hyacinthaceae. The subfamily name is derived from the generic name
Binomial nomenclature
Binomial nomenclature is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, both of which use Latin grammatical forms, although they can be based on words from other languages...
of the type
Biological type
In biology, a type is one particular specimen of an organism to which the scientific name of that organism is formally attached...
genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
, Scilla
Scilla
Scilla is a genus of about 50 bulb-forming perennial herbs in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae, native to woodlands, subalpine meadows, and seashores throughout Europe and Asia...
. Some are popular spring-flowering garden bulbs, such as hyacinth (Hyacinthus), grape hyacinth
Grape hyacinth
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 . Another common name is Baby's Breath...
(Muscari), bluebell
Hyacinthoides
Hyacinthoides is a genus of the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae. It has also been placed in the separate family Hyacinthaceae and before that the Liliaceae. The genus is included within Scilla by some botanists....
(Hyacinthoides) and squill
Scilla
Scilla is a genus of about 50 bulb-forming perennial herbs in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae, native to woodlands, subalpine meadows, and seashores throughout Europe and Asia...
(Scilla). Others are summer- and autumn-flowering, including Galtonia
Galtonia
Galtonia is genus of plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae; native to South Africa they are named after Sir Francis Galton. G. candicans, also known as Cape Hyacinth, is much propagated as a garden plant. Another species is the pale green flowering G. viridiflora....
and Eucomis
Eucomis
Eucomis is a genus of African bulbs in the asparagus family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae. Most species of this genus are commonly referred to as pineapple flowers or pineapple lilies.-Etymology:...
('pineapple lilies'). Most are native to the Mediterranean climate
Mediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate is the climate typical of most of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, and is a particular variety of subtropical climate...
and neighboring zones in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, the Mediterranean Basin
Mediterranean Basin
In biogeography, the Mediterranean Basin refers to the lands around the Mediterranean Sea that have a Mediterranean climate, with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers, which supports characteristic Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub vegetation...
to Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
and Burma, and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
.
According to Stevens, there is considerable disagreement as to how genera should be defined in the Scilloideae, with different sources listing from 15 to 45 genera for sub-Saharan Africa. The subfamily thus contains anything between around 40 and 70 genera in up to 1000 species. Pfosser & Speta (1999) are one source of the higher figure. Some genera that were formerly placed within the Scillioideae (as Hyacinthaceae), e.g., Chlorogalum and Camassia
Camassia
Camassia is a genus of six species native to western North America, from southern British Columbia to northern California, and east to Utah, Wyoming and Montana...
, are currently placed in the Agavoideae.
Morphologically the subfamily is characterised by having 6 tepals and 6 stamens with a superior ovary
Ovary (plants)
In the flowering plants, an ovary is a part of the female reproductive organ of the flower or gynoecium. Specifically, it is the part of the pistil which holds the ovule and is located above or below or at the point of connection with the base of the petals and sepals...
; its members were included 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...
in many older classification systems, such as the Cronquist system
Cronquist system
The Cronquist system is a taxonomic classification system of flowering plants. It was developed by Arthur Cronquist in his texts An Integrated System of Classification of Flowering Plants and The Evolution and Classification of Flowering Plants .Cronquist's system places flowering plants into two...
. Other characteristics include rather fleshy mucilaginous leaves arranged in a basal rosette, and the production of poisonous substances (such as bufadienolide), making them inedible.