Hyacinthoides italica

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Italian bluebell
Liliaceae - Hyacinthoides italica.jpg
Inflorescence of a wild Hyacinthoides italica
Scientific classification edit
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Asparagaceae
Subfamily: Scilloideae
Genus: Hyacinthoides
Species:
H. italica
Binomial name
Hyacinthoides italica
(L.) Chouard ex Rothm.
Synonyms[1]
  • Endymion italicus (L.) Chouard
  • Hyacinthus italicus (L.) E.H.L.Krause
  • Ornithogalum spicatum Gaterau
  • Scilla bertolonii Duby
  • Scilla byzantina Poir.
  • Scilla italica L.
  • Scilla pallida Salisb.
  • Scilla pauciflora Link ex Schult. & Schult.
  • Scilla purpurea Mill.
  • Somera italica (L.) Salisb.

Hyacinthoides italica, the Italian bluebell or Italian squill, is a spring-flowering bulbous perennial plant belonging to the family Asparagaceae.[2][3]

It is one of around 11 species in the genus Hyacinthoides, others including the common bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) in northwestern Europe, and the Spanish bluebell (Hyacinthoides hispanica) further west in the Iberian Peninsula.[4]

Description[]

Hyacinthoides italica is up to 10–40 centimetres (3.9–15.7 in) tall. The stem is leafless. It has 3-6 basal lance-shaped leaves, 4–15 millimetres (0.16–0.59 in) wide and 7–15 centimetres (2.8–5.9 in) long. The inflorescence is a dense, conical or pyramid-like raceme with 5-30 bright violet-blue star-like flowers. The flowers have two narrow bracts. Flowering period extends from February to May.[5][6][7]

It is in some respects intermediate between the common and Spanish species in having slender leaves (as in H. non-scripta or even slenderer), but a dense raceme of flowers (as in H. hispanica; not sparse and one-sided as in H. non-scripta).

H. italica is sometimes used as an ornamental plant. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[8][9]

Distribution[]

This species is native to the central Mediterranean region, in northwestern Italy, in western Liguria, in southern France, and in northeastern Spain.[10]

Habitat[]

It can be found in olive groves, in dry and stony meadows and in clearings of forests at an elevation up to 1,700 metres (5,600 ft) above sea level.

Gallery[]

  • Illustration from The Botanical Magazine, Plate 663

  • Plants of Hyacinthoides italica in the botanic garden of Berne

  • Flowers of Hyacinthoides italica

  • Close-up of a flower

References[]

Notes[]

  1. ^ Catalogue of life- Accepted scientific name: Hyacinthoides italica (L.) Rothm. (accepted name) www.catalogueoflife.org, accessed 16 May 2021
  2. ^ Hyacinthoides italica (L.) Rothm., Feddes Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 53: 15 (1944). International Plant Names Index www.ipni.org, accessed 16 May 2021
  3. ^ species: Italian Bluebell Hyacinthoides italica (L.) Rothm. Biolib, www.biolib.cz, accessed 16 May 2021
  4. ^ World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, retrieved 2011-07-05, search for "Hyacinthoides"
  5. ^ Hyacinthoides italica (L.) Rothm. {ID 4091} - Scilla della riviera Acta Plantarum, www.actaplantarum.org, accessed 16 May 2021
  6. ^ Italiensk blåstjärna Hyacinthoides italica (L.) Rothm. Den virtuella floran linnaeus.nrm.se, accessed 16 May 2021
  7. ^ PIGNATTI S., 1982. Flora d'Italia, Edagricole, Bologna
  8. ^ "Hyacinthoides italica". Royal Horticultural Society. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  9. ^ "AGM Plants - Ornamental" (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 50. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
  10. ^ Hyacinthoides italica (L.) Rothm. luirig.altervista.org, accessed 16 May 2021

General references[]

  • Huxley, A. (1992). New RHS Dictionary of Gardening vol. 2: 604. Macmillan.
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