''Muscari armeniacum'' is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriat ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants t ...

in the squill

subfamily In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classifica ...

Scilloideae of the asparagus

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Asparagaceae (formerly the lilies, Liliaceae). It is a

bulb In botany, a bulb is structurally a short stem with fleshy leaves or leaf basesBell, A.D. 1997. ''Plant form: an illustrated guide to flowering plant morphology''. Oxford University Press, Oxford, U.K. that function as food storage organs dur ...

ous

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also widel ...

with basal, simple

leaves A leaf ( : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, st ...

and short flowering stems. It is one of a number of species and genera known as grape hyacinth, in this case Armenian grape hyacinth or garden grape-hyacinth. The flowers are purple, blue (with a white fringe), white (cv. ‘Album’) or pale pink (cv. ‘Pink Sunrise’) and the plants are usually tall. ''M. armeniacum'' blooms in mid-Spring (April or May in the

Northern Hemisphere The Northern Hemisphere is the half of Earth that is north of the Equator. For other planets in the Solar System, north is defined as being in the same celestial hemisphere relative to the invariable plane of the solar system as Earth's Nort ...

) for 3–4 weeks. Some selections are fragrant. Established bulbs leaf in the autumn. ''M. armeniacum'' is widespread in the woods and meadows of the Eastern

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on ...

, from

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders wi ...

and

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula ...

to the

Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, mainly comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and parts of Southern Russia. The Caucasus Mountains, including the Greater Caucasus range, have historica ...

, including

Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ''O ...

which gives it its name. Grape Hyacinth - Muscari armeniacum - Traubenhyazinthe - 01

Cultivation

''Muscari armeniacum'' is one of the most commonly cultivated species of ''Muscari'', is robust and naturalises easily., pp. 126 It appeared in European gardens in 1871. The following have gained the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (Nor ...

’s

Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established annual award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. History The Award of Garden Merit ...

: *''M. armeniacum'' *''M. armeniacum'' ‘Christmas Pearl’ *''M. armeniacum'' ‘Jenny Robinson’ *''M. armeniacum'' ‘Saffier’ Cultivars listed by Mathew include 'Blue Spike' and 'Cantab'. Others include 'Argaei Album' and 'Album' (white), 'Côte d'Azur', 'Dark Eyes, 'Early Giant', 'Fantasy Creation', 'Peppermint', 'Saffier', 'Valerie Finnis' (pale blue), and 'Pink Sunrise' (pale pink). The commonly available form is often referred to as ''M. armeniacum'' 'Blue'. 'Blue Spike' is a double flowered variety, with double florets on the flower stalk. 'Cantab' is pale blue. 'Fantasy Creation' is a

sport Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators. Sports can, ...

(a naturally occurring genetic mutation) of 'Blue Spike'. 'Atlantic' is light blue, introduced by Jan van Bentem in 2002, by hybridisation in 1990 from ''M. armeniacum'' and an unknown parent.

Gallery

File:Muscari armeniacum.jpg, ''Muscari armeniacum'' growing in the wild in

Oshakan Oshakan ( hy, Օշական) is a major village in the Aragatsotn Province of Armenia located 8 kilometers southwest from Ashtarak. It is well known to historians and pilgrims of the Armenian Apostolic Church as the site of the grave of Mesrop Mas ...

File:Muscari armeniacum, Jardín Botánico de Múnich, Alemania, 2013-05-04, DD 01.jpg, Bell-shaped flowers of a ''Muscari armeniacum'' surrounded by leaves of ''Hosta 'Undulata', Munich Botanical Garden,

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...

File:Muscari armeniacum 'Peppermint' fruits.jpg, Immature capsules of ''Muscari armeniacum'' 'Peppermint',

Gothenburg Botanical Garden The Gothenburg Botanical Garden ( sv, Göteborgs botaniska trädgård) is located in Gothenburg, Sweden, and is one of the larger botanical gardens in Europe. History The Gothenburg Botanical Garden is situated in a formerly completely rural ar ...

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic countries, Nordic c ...

References

Sources

*''Taylor's guide to Bulbs''. Houghton Miflin Boston 1986. p. 350.

External links

North Carolina State University: Muscari armeniacum
* {{Taxonbar, from=Q159562 armeniacum Flora of Armenia Flora of Azerbaijan Flora of Turkey