1040 



MUSCARI 



prominent perianth-segments, as in the true hyacinth. 

 The common Grape Hyacinth, which every garden lover 

 knows, is called M. botryoides, which means "like a 

 bunch of grapes." Everybody who has any ground for 

 gardening should have some bulbs of this common 

 kind, both blue-flowered and white. All the other kinds 

 described below are fanciers' plants, interesting chiefly 

 to skilled amateurs. Among them the most remarkable 

 is the Feathered Hyacinth (M. comosum, var. mon- 

 strosum), which is a mass of lilac shreds (see Pig. 

 1438). Any species of Muscari is likely to have some 

 sterile fls. at the top of the cluster which are often of a 

 different color, but in the Feathered Hyacinth there is 

 no suggestion left of the urn-shaped flower, sterile and 

 fertile" fls. all being cut into fine strips. This attrac- 

 tive plant has lately been sold for fancy prices by a few 

 progressive florists. 



All Grape Hyacinths are very much alike and are very 

 interesting, botanically, horticulturally and from the ar- 

 tistic point of view. There are perhaps 40 species in Eu- 

 rope, western Asia and northern Africa. The group needs 

 botanical revision badly. The chiefly literary sources are 

 Baker in Jour. Linn. Soc. vol. 11 (1871), and in G.C. II. 

 9:798 (1878); also Boissier's Flora Orientalis. The 

 width of the Ivs. is an important character, and Baker's 

 measurements seem to refer to herbarium specimens. 

 Live plants should be wider. (A line is a twelfth of an 

 inch.) W. M. 



Grape Hyacinths are neat little early flowering bul- 

 bous plants, good-sized colonies of which give dainty 

 effects in the border from February to May. There are 

 numerous species of these, flowering at different times. 

 They are mostly dark purple in color, either self-colored 

 or tipped with white. There are also a few white and 

 yellow forms, and several species with true blue flowers, 

 the rarest color among flowers, though this would never 

 be discovered in catalogues. M. Szovitsianum, one of 

 the true blue forms, is quite the prettiest of the gemis. 

 The plant known to the trade as M. lingulatum or Hya- 

 cinthus azureus has the true blue of M . Szovitsianum, 

 and is fully a month earlier. The usual forms grown in 

 gardens are mostly blue (purple) and white forms of 

 M. botryoides. M. conicum is very dark. The Dutch 

 catalogues offer numerous kinds to suit purses in all 

 stages of decrepitude. Muscari offer no difficulties in 

 cultivation. A medium soil perhaps suits them best, 

 but they are usually thrifty growers, and persistent in 

 the garden if foliage is allowed to ripen. They mostly 

 make offsets freely, and produce abundant seed. 



J. N. GERARD. 



Subgenus I. MOSCHARIA. Perianth 



urn-shaped, but with a relatively 



long-tubular base ; segments minute, 



even for the genus, roundish, spread- 

 ing and thickened on the back 1. moschatum 



Subgenus II. LEOPOLDIA. Perianth 



obovoid-urn-shaped, grooved above, 



3-4 lines long; segments triangular, 



reflexed, not thickened on the back: 



raceme loose, and longer than in the 



next. Particularly characterized by 



the conspicuous bearded appearance 



of the sterile fls 2. comosum 



3. Graecum 



Subgenus III. BOTRYANTHUS. Peri- 

 anth more or less urn-shaped, grooved 



or not above, 1-2 or rarely 3 lines 



long; segments triangular, usually 



reflexed: raceme dense, 1-2 in. long. 



Sterile fls. inconspicuously bearded 



or hardly at all. 



MUSCARI 



A. Fertile fls. a little longer than 

 broad, i. e., obovoid-globose. 



B. Lvs. 3-4: fls. 12-20 4. botryoides 



BB. Lvs. 5-6: fls. 8-12 5. Heldreichii 



BBB. Lvs. 2-3: fls. 6-10 6. lingulatum 



AA. Fertile fls. 1% times as long as 

 broad, i. e., obovo id-oblong. 



B. Color of fls. black-blue 7. paradoxum*. 



BB. Color lively dark lilac or blue. 



c. Lvs. 3-4 lines broad 8. conicum * 



cc. Lvs. 1-2 lines broad. 



D. Fls. violet, fragrant 9. micranthum 



*DD. Fls. blue, faintly odorouslO. Szovitsianum 



BBB. Color nearly white 11. pallens 



AAA. Fertile fls. twice as long as 



broad, i. e., obovoid-cylindrical. 



B. Lvs. almost cylindrical (sub- 



terete ) 12. racemosum 



BB. Lvs. oblanceolate 13. latifolium. 



BBB. Lvs. lorate, i. e., strap-shaped. 14. neglectum 



15. commutatum 



16. polyanthum 



17. compactum 



1. moschatum, Willd. (M. suaveolens, Fisch.). MUSK 

 HYACINTH. Lvs. 5-6, 1 ft. long, %-% in. wide: raceme 

 loose, 1-3 in. long: fls. 20-50, blue. Asia Minor. B.M. 

 734. Gn. 26, p. 137. Has the odor of musk. Vars. ma- 

 jor and minor are advertised. M. dipcade major and 

 minor have appeared in the catalogue of J. M. Thorburn 

 & Co. since 1878, but these names are not in Index 

 Kewensis. Thorburn & Co. write that this is the Nut- 

 meg or Musk Hyacinth, Muscari moscnatum, and that 

 M. dipcade still appears in Dutch catalogues. 



Var. flavum, Lam. ( M. fldvum, Van Tubergen. M. 

 macrocarpum, Sweet). Fls. yellowish (Van Tubergen 

 says clear yellow). B.M. 1565. 



2. comdsum, Mill. Fig. 1437. Lvs. 3-4, 1-1% ft. long, 

 %-l in. wide: raceme loose, 6-12 in. long, 40-100-fld.: 

 lower fls. fertile, olive, tipped brown ; borne on long hori- 

 zontal pedicels: upper fls. sterile, blue or violet, borne 

 on long up-curved pedicels, making a corymbose cluster. 

 Mediterranean region, Orient. 



B M. 133 (as Hyacinthus co- 

 mos^ls). An interesting form, 

 but rare in cult., being great- 

 ly surpassed in popularity by 



Var. monstrdsum, H o r t . 

 FEATHERED HYACINTH. Fig. 

 1438. x All the fls. sterile, and 

 cut up into fine shreds. Gng. 

 7:290. A.F. 14:1286. Gn. 26, 

 p. 137. A charming and novel 

 plant. Also called Fair4iaired 

 or Tasseled Hyacinth, and 

 Shredded Lilac. Sold also as 

 M. monstrosum, M. plumo- 

 sum , M. plumosum monstro- 

 sum, etc. For other trade syn- 

 onyms, see under M. commu- 

 tatum. 



3. Graecum, Heldr. Differs 

 from M. comosum in having 

 its sterile fls. in a short, 

 dense, conical spike, the pedi- 

 cels of which are very short. 

 Greece. 



1437. Muscari comosum, 

 COM . (Adapted from Botanical 

 Fig. 



Magazine.) 



4. botryoides, Mill. 

 MON GRAPE HYACINTH. 



1439. Lvs. linear-lorate, 3-4 



lines wide: scape 6-9 in. long: fls. pale blue, odorless, 

 Eu., Orient. B.M. 157 (as Hyacinthtis botryoides). A. 

 F. 13:1197. Gn. 26:453. R.B. 20:3.-The following va- 

 rieties are offered: album, carneum, cceruleum, leuco 

 phcKum, Lelievrei, majus, pallidum and pallidum 

 grandiflorum. These range from white through flesh- 

 color to sky-blue. 



5. H61dreichii, Boiss. Lvs. linear-filiform, subterete, 

 IK lines wide: scape 4-6 in. long : fls. amethyst-colored, 

 with conspicuous white teeth. Greece. Gn. 26:4^3. 



