MUSCARI COMMUTATUM

Family and Genus:- See- HYACINTHACEAE/Subgen. BOTRYANTHUS

Common Names:- None

Homotypic Synonyms:- Botryanthus commutatus, Hyacinthus commutatus.

Meaning:- Muscari (L) Musk-like (from the Turkish, moscos, fragrance).

Commutatum (L) Changed, altered.

General description:- A low to short bulbous perennial.

Bulbs:-

1) Occasionally producing offsets; tunic dark shiny brown.

Scape:-

1) 6-30 cm, about as long as the leaves.

Leaves:-

1) 2-5, 10-30 cm x 5-15 mm, linear to linear-lanceolate, canaliculate, margins

scarious.

Flower:-

1) Raceme, dense, ovoid. Fruiting raceme lax.

2) Pedicels, of the fertile flowers 2-6 mm, patent-deflexed, as long as or shorter

than the flowers.

3) Fertile flowers, 3·5-7 mm, obovoid-urceolate, strongly shouldered and

constricted, deep blackish-violet, with teeth.

4) Teeth 0·5-1 mm. recurved concolorous

5) Pedicels of the sterile flowers 1-3 mm.

6) Sterile flowers, 2-4 mm, paler and smaller than the fertile.

Fruit:-

1) Capsule, 7-12 x 5-8 mm, oblong-ovoid or broadly ellipsoid.

Key features:-

1) Perianth, bright blue or blackish-blue, without dark blue stripes; concolorous;

tube and teeth blackish-blue.

2) Pedicels. patent or deflexed.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Open dry shrubby vegetation, scrubland vegetation, orchards, olive groves

and open woodland. 0-1100 m.

Distribution:- Throughout Greece, but less common in the W & N. - Italy and the

Balkans eastwards to the east Aegean Islands. On Crete confined mainly to the

Sitia region in the east and localised areas in the central.

Flowering time:- Feb-May.

Photos by:- Dr. Armin Jagel