Muscari M iller Muscari macrocarpum, Sweet Muscari gussonei, (Pari.) Tod.

36. Muscari M iller 2

Glabrous, bulbous perennials. Leaves (1—)2—7, all basal. Flowers in terminal racemes or spikes, the apical flowers often sterile and

differing in colour from the lower fertile flowers. Perianth globose to oblong-urceolate or -campanulate, usually constricted below the separation of the teeth, blue or brownish or yellow; teeth 6, short, often of different colour from the tube. Anthers (l-)2-seriate, included in the tube. Withered perianth abscissing around the base as the capsule expands. Fruit a capsule with sharply angled valves. Seeds 2 in each loculus, black and shiny, usually minutely reticulate.

The genus is defined here in a broad sense and contains four subgenera which have often been treated as separate genera (cf. Garbari & Greuter). When further work on chromosome- configurations is available, and when all members of Subgen. Pseudomuscari (at present a heterogeneous group) are better known, the generic definition used here may be revised. The differences between the subgenera are considered to be of a lower order of importance than those that separate Muscari sensu lato from Bellevalia and Hyacinthella .

Capsule-measurements are taken from pressed material, and may therefore be at variance with the shape given, which is that of fresh mateiial.

Literature: J. G. Baker, Jour. Linn. Soc. London (Bot.) 11: 411-418 (1871). B. Bentzer, Bot. Not. 126: 69-132 (1973). F. Garbari & W. Greuter, Taxon 19: 329-335 (1970). T. von Heldreich, Bull. Soc. Nat. Moscou 53(1): 56-75 (1878). D. C. Stuart, Lily Year Book 29: 125-138 (1965); Notes Roy. Bot. Gard. Edinb. 30: 189-196 (1970).

1 Tube of mature fertile flowers pale blue to blackish-blue

2 Perianth pale blue, with darker blue stripes on the ± connivent teeth; pedicels ascending; flowering in autumn

13. parviflorum 2 Perianth bright blue or blackish-blue, without dark blue stripes; pedicels patent or deflexed; flowering in spring

3 Perianth concolorous; tube and teeth blackish-blue

12. commutatimi 3 Perianth discolorous; teeth paler than tube, often white

4 Perianth globose; leaves 2-3(-4), usually linearoblanceolate; raceme usually becoming lax 9. botryoides 4 Perianth ovoid or obovoid to oblong-urceolate; leaves (2-)3-7, linear; raceme usually dense

5 Flowers bright blue, sometimes tinged with purple

10. armeniacum 5 Flowers very dark or blackish-blue 11. neglectum 1 Tube of mature fertile flowers brownish, yellow, whitish or greenish

6 Fertile flowers with the shoulder expanded into a distinct corona; tube yellow or greenish to whitish; sterile flowers usually absent

7 Perianth-tube yellow, tubular-urceolate 1. macrocarpum 7 Perianth-tube greenish to whitish, narrowly urceolate

2. moschatum 6 Fertile flowers with the shoulder not expanded into a corona;

tube brownish, yellowish or greenish; sterile flowers usually many, often conspicuous

8 Perianth-teeth blackish; bulb-tunics pale grey

8. tenuiflorum 8 Perianth-teeth whitish, cream or yellow; bulb-tunics reddish-brown or pink

9 Perianth-teeth cream to pale yellowish-brown; sterile flowers ascending, usually forming a conspicuous corymb

7. comosum 9 Perianth-teeth yellow; sterile flowers ± patent or sessile

10 Fertile flowers sessile or with pedicels not more than

1-5 mm

11 Sterile flowers pedicellate; leaves more than 4 mm wide

3. cycladicum 11 Sterile flowers sessile; leaves less than 4 mm wide

4. gussonei 10 Fertile flowers with pedicels more than 2 mm

12 Inflorescence conical, with ascending pedicels; fertile flowers dark greenish-brown; sterile flowers few or absent 5. spreitzenhoferi

12 Inflorescence cylindrical, with ±patent pedicels; fertile flowers brown to yellowish-brown; sterile flowers numerous 6. weissii

Subgen. Muscari . Bulb with thick, swollen, persistent roots. Fertile flowers narrowly or tubular-urceolate, strongly constricted distally, yellow, greenish or white, the shoulder strongly expanded to form a usually brown corona. Sterile flowers minute, sessile, purple, frequently absent. Capsule indéhiscent when shed.

For an explanation of the typification of the genus, cf. W. B. Turrill, Bot. Mag. 167: t. 124 (1950).

1. M. macrocarpum Sweet , Brit. FI. Gard. ser. 1, t. 210 (1827).

Leaves 10-20 cm x 5-15 mm, linear-lanceolate, pale greyishgreen. Scape 10-15 cm, erect to procumbent, shorter than leaves. Raceme up to 6 cm, dense, becoming lax. Pedicel of fertile flowers 1-3 mm. Fertile flowers 8-12 mm, tubular-urceolate, purplish in bud, becoming bright yellow; teeth minute, brownish. Fruiting raceme 1-6 cm, usually dense. Capsule 10-30 x 20-30 mm, suborbicular to broadly obovate, very deeply angled. 2/z = 18. Limestone cliffs. S. Aegean region. C rG r. ( W. Anatolia and adjacent islands.)

2. M. moschatum Willd. , Enum. Pl. Horti Berol. 378 (1809)

( M. muscarina Medicus , Muscarimia muscari (L.) Losinsk.).

Like 1 but fertile flowers narrowly urceolate, purplish at first, becoming greenish to whitish at anthesis. Cultivated for its strong, musk-like scent, and naturalized in W. Italy and Sicilia. [It Si.] (5. & IF. Anatolia.)

Subgen. Leopoldia (Pari.) Zahar. Bulbs with slender, annual roots. Fertile flowers tubular- or obconic-urceolate, strongly constricted distally, brownish or greenish, often more or less constricted near the middle, the shoulder not forming a corona. Sterile flowers blue or violet, often numerous and arranged in a prominent apical tuft. Capsules usually dehiscent on plant.

3. M. cycladicum P. H. Davis & Stuart , Lily Year Book 30: 123 (1966).

Bulb-tunics dark pinkish-brown. Leaves (2-)3-4, 10-20 cm x 8-25 mm, narrowly linear-lanceolate, canaliculate. Scape (5-)8-3O cm, longer or shorter than leaves. Raceme lax, cylindrical. Pedicels of fertile flowers absent, or not more than 1-5 mm. Fertile flowers 5-9(-12) mm, oblong or obconical- oblong, occasionally slightly constricted in middle; shoulders rounded; distal part of tube deep brown; proximal part paler or greenish; teeth bright brownish-yellow. Pedicels of sterile flowers 4-8 mm, patent, pale violet. Sterile flowers 4-8 mm, obovoid. Capsule 8-11 x 8-25 mm, subglobose to broadly ovoid-ellipsoid, often indéhiscent when shed. 2zz = 36, 54. • Kikladhes. Cr Gr.

Bentzer recognised two subspecies (under Leopoldia cycladica (Davis & Stuart) Bentzer ), but the differences are in quantitative characters which are normally quite variable in the subgenus and separation at this level does not seem justified.

4. M. gussonei (Pari.) Tod. , Ind. Sem. HortiPanorm. 58 (1872).

Bulb-tunics dark brown. Leaves 2-3, 10-15 cm x 2-5-3 mm, linear. Scape 16-20 cm, erect, exceeding leaves. Raceme lax, cylindrical. Pedicels of fertile flowers not more than 0-5 mm. Fertile flowers 5-5-5 mm, tubular-urceolate, brownish or yellowish, sometimes slightly constricted in middle; shoulders angular; teeth yellow, recurved. Sterile flowers few, sessile, minute, crowded, bluish. Capsule and seeds unknown. 2n=18. Maritime sands. • Sicilia, Calabria. It Si. This species (like 5) has frequently been confused with M. maritimum Desf. , FI. A tl.l: 308 (1798), from N. Africa, which has longer-pedicellate fertile flowers and anthers (as in Bellevalia ) lying beneath the perianth-teeth.

5. M. spreitzenhoferi (Heldr.) Vierh. , Österr. Bot. Zeitsehr. 66: 166 (1916)

( M. creticum Vierh. ).

Bulb-tunics pinkish or brown. Leaves 3-5, 6-20 cm x 8-12 mm, linear, canaliculate, the outermost conspicuously wider. Scape 5-15 cm, usually shorter than leaves. Raceme dense, conical, becoming lax, cylindrical. Pedicels of fertile flowers 4-7 mm, usually ascending at least in fruit. Fertile flowers 4-7 mm, tubular-urceolate, sometimes slightly constricted in middle; shoulders rounded, deep brown; proximal part of tube greenish-brown; teeth deep yellow, patent or recurved. Sterile flowers scarcely developed, forming a minute tuft of threads, rarely few and small. Capsule 6-8 x 6-8 mm, globose, sometimes emarginate or acuminate. 2« = 18, 36. Kriti. Cr. (?. Algeria)