Grape hyacinth | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
clade: | Angiosperms |
clade: | Monocots |
Order: | Asparagales |
Family: | Asparagaceae |
Subfamily: | Scilloideae |
Genus: | Muscari |
Species: | M. neglectum |
Binomial name | |
Muscari neglectum Guss. ex Ten. |
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Synonyms | |
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Muscari neglectum is a perennial bulbous plant, one of a number of species and genera known as Grape Hyacinth and in particular Common Grape Hyacinth.[1] It is sometimes grown as an ornamental plant.
Contents |
M. neglectum is a herbaceous plant growing from a bulb. The flower stems are 5–20 cm tall. The flowers are arranged in a spike or raceme and are dark blue with white lobes at their tips; there may be a cluster of paler sterile flowers at the top of the spike.[2] The raceme is 2–6 cm long. The fruit is a 3-valved capsula.
It is a very well known species in cultivation (being described as the "common" Grape Hyacinth by Mathew); it increases rapidly and can become too invasive.[2]
The name was attributed to Giovanni Gussone by Michele Tenore in a list of plants of the Neapolitan area published in 1842. The species has a confused nomenclatural history; no fewer than 46 full species names are listed as synonyms in the Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families.[3] The name M. racemosum is commonly found as a synonym for M. neglectum in the horticultural literature,[4] although the true M. racemosum Mill. is a different species.[3]