Hyacinthella is a genus of bulbous flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae (formerly the family Hyacinthaceae).[2] It is native to eastern and south-eastern Europe through to northern Iran, reaching as far south as Palestine.[3] Turkey is the main country in which species are found.[4]
| Hyacinthella | |
|---|---|
| |
| Hyacinthella nervosa | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Asparagaceae |
| Subfamily: | Scilloideae |
| Genus: | Hyacinthella Schur |
| Type species | |
| Hyacinthella leucophaea (K.Koch) Schur[1]
| |
Description
editHyacinthella species grow from bulbs whose tunics often bear powdery white crystals. There are usually two or three basal leaves with prominent strands of fibre. The inflorescences consist of short spikes (racemes) of tubular flowers, each with six short lobes, in colours ranging from pale blue to deep violet.[4] Heights vary from about 5 cm (2 in) to 25 cm (10 in), depending on the species.[5] They grow in rocky habitats, such as hillsides, which are hot and dry in the summer.[4]
Species
editAs of July 2014[update], the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families accepted 17 species:[6]
- Hyacinthella acutiloba K.Perss. & Wendelbo - Turkey
- Hyacinthella atropatana (Grossh.) Mordak & Zakhar. - Transcaucasus
- Hyacinthella campanulata K.Perss. & Wendelbo - Turkey
- Hyacinthella dalmatica Chouard - Croatia
- Hyacinthella glabrescens (Boiss.) K.Perss. & Wendelbo - Turkey
- Hyacinthella heldreichii (Boiss.) Chouard - Turkey
- Hyacinthella hispida (J.Gay) Chouard - Turkey
- Hyacinthella lazulina K.Perss.& Jim.Perss. - Turkey
- Hyacinthella leucophaea (K.Koch) Schur - Balkans, Russia, Ukraine
- Hyacinthella lineata (Steud. ex Schult. & Schult.f.) Chouard - Turkey
- Hyacinthella micrantha (Boiss.) Chouard - Turkey
- Hyacinthella millingenii (Post) Feinbrun - Turkey, Cyprus
- Hyacinthella nervosa (Bertol.) Chouard - Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Israel, Jordan
- Hyacinthella pallasiana (Steven) Losinsk. - Russia, Ukraine
- Hyacinthella persica (Boiss. & Buhse) Chouard - Iran
- Hyacinthella siirtensis B.Mathew - Turkey
- Hyacinthella venusta K.Perss. - Turkey
Cultivation
editSome species are in cultivation, where they require a dry summer rest and are not suitable for growing in the open garden in areas with cooler, wetter summers.[4]
References
edit
- ^ Lectotype designated by: Speta, F. 1982. Über die Abgrenzung und Gliederung der Gattung Muscari, und über die Beziehungen zu anderen Vertretern der Hyacinthaceae. Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 103: 267.
- ^ Stevens, P.F. (2001 onwards), "Asparagales: Scilloideae", Angiosperm Phylogeny Website, retrieved 2013-03-21
- ^ "Hyacinthella", World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, retrieved 2013-03-20
- ^ a b c d Mathew, Brian (1987), The Smaller Bulbs, London: B.T. Batsford, ISBN 978-0-7134-4922-8, pp. 101–103
- ^ Beckett, K., ed. (1993), Encyclopaedia of Alpines : Volume 1 (A–K), Pershore, UK: AGS Publications, ISBN 978-0-900048-61-6, pp. 654–655
- ^ Search for "Hyacinthella", World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, retrieved 2014-07-08