Snowflake (plant)

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Snowflakes

Summer Snowflake (Leucojum aestivum)

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Liliopsida
Order:	Asparagales
Family:	Amaryllidaceae
Genus:	Leucojum L.

Species

Leucojum aestivum

ssp. aestivum

ssp. pulchellum

Leucojum vernum

var. carpathicum

var. vagneri

Spring Snowflake (Leucojum vernum) and Summer Snowflake (Leucojum aestivum) are bulbous plants belonging to the Amaryllidaceae family. They are the only species currently classified in the genus Leucojum.

1 Description
2 Cultivar
3 Acis
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Description

The snowflakes are native to southern Europe, from the Pyrenées to Romania and western Russia, but they have been introduced and have naturalized in many other areas, including the east coast of North America. They have narrow, strap-like, dark green leaves. The flowers are small and bell-shaped, white with a green (or occasionally yellow) spot at the end of each petal. They have a slight fragrance.

The Spring Snowflake normally grows 15-20 cm tall (6-8 in), though it may reach up to 35 cm (14 in). It flowers from March to May (as soon as the snow melts in its wild habitat). Two varieties of Leucojum vernum are known: L. vernum var. carpathicum originates from the eastern part of its natural range and is a larger plant with yellowish spots on its petals rather than green; L. vernum var. vagneri from Hungary is a robust plant, often with two flowers per stem.

The Summer Snowflake has a wider natural range, taking in Europe, southwest Asia and northern Iran, and growing in wetter habitats including damp woodland, riversides and swamps. Despite its common name it also flowers from March to May, though slightly later than the Spring Snowflake. It is a taller plant than Leucojum vernum, growing to around 60 cm (2 ft), but its flowers are smaller and are carried in an umbel of between three and seven. Its fleshy seed pods are inflated, allowing them to be dispersed by flood water.

[edit] Cultivar

Leucojum aestivum 'Gravetye Giant' is a selected cultivar with larger flowers. It is named after Gravetye Manor, an Elizabethan manor house in West Sussex, England, the home of the influential garden writer William Robinson from 1884 until his death in 1935. The house is now a hotel.

[edit] Acis

Several former members of the genus, characterised by their narrow leaves, solid stems and unmarked flowers, have recently (July 2004) been reclassified as genus Acis. Most are autumn-flowering and prefer drier soils than Leucojum species. Leucojum autumnale, Leucojum nicaeense, Leucojum roseum, etc. should now be referred to as Acis autumnalis, Acis nicaeensis, Acis rosea, etc.

Summer Snowflake (Leucojum aestivum)

Former species of Leucojum (now reclassified as Acis)

Acis autumnalis

var. autumnalis

var. oporantha

var. pulchella

Acis fabrei
Acis longifolia
Acis nicaeensis
Acis rosea
Acis tingitana
Acis trichophylla

var. trichophylla

var. broteroi

var. micrantha

Acis valentina

[edit] References

Dolores Lledo, Aaron Davis, Manuel Crespo, Mark Chase and Michael Fay. "Phylogenetic analysis of Leucojum and Galanthus (Amaryllidaceae) based on plastid matK and nuclear ribosomal spacer (ITS) DNA sequences and morphology". Plant Systematics and Evolution (July 2004).