Chionodoxa forbesii
Encyclopedia
Chionodoxa forbesii or Forbes' Glory-of-the-snow is a bulbous
perennial
from south-west Turkey
flowering in early spring. After flowering, it goes into dormancy
until the next spring.
Like all members of the genus Chionodoxa
, the bases of the stamen
s are flattened and closely clustered in the middle of the flower. In the related genus Scilla
, the stamens are not flattened or clustered together. The differences are not considered by some botanists as sufficient to create a separate genus, so they include this species in Scilla.
C. forbesii resembles C. siehei
, which is regarded as part of the same species by some botanists. For those who differentiate the two taxa
, C. forbesii differs by having fewer, smaller upward-facing flowers, which are a deep blue, rather than violet-blue.
Bulb
A bulb is a short stem with fleshy leaves or leaf bases. The leaves often function as food storage organs during dormancy.A bulb's leaf bases, known as scales, generally do not support leaves, but contain food reserves to enable the plant to survive adverse conditions. At the center of the bulb is...
perennial
Perennial plant
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. The term is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter lived annuals and biennials. The term is sometimes misused by commercial gardeners or horticulturalists to describe only herbaceous perennials...
from south-west Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
flowering in early spring. After flowering, it goes into dormancy
Ephemeral Plant
An ephemeral plant is one marked by short life cycles, usually six to eight weeks. The word ephemeral means transitory or quickly fading. In regards to plants, it refers to several distinct growth strategies...
until the next spring.
Like all members of the genus Chionodoxa
Chionodoxa
Chionodoxa ' is a small genus of bulbous perennials in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae. The genus is endemic to the eastern Mediterranean region, specifically Crete, Cyprus and Turkey. The blue, white or pink flowers appear early in the year making them valuable garden ornamentals...
, the bases of the stamen
Stamen
The stamen is the pollen producing reproductive organ of a flower...
s are flattened and closely clustered in the middle of the flower. In the related genus Scilla
Scilla
Scilla is a genus of about 50 bulb-forming perennial herbs in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae, native to woodlands, subalpine meadows, and seashores throughout Europe and Asia...
, the stamens are not flattened or clustered together. The differences are not considered by some botanists as sufficient to create a separate genus, so they include this species in Scilla.
C. forbesii resembles C. siehei
Chionodoxa siehei
Chionodoxa siehei or Siehe's Glory-of-the-Snow is a bulbous perennial from west Turkey flowering in early spring. After flowering, it goes into dormancy until the next spring. It seeds readily to form colonies.-Description:...
, which is regarded as part of the same species by some botanists. For those who differentiate the two taxa
Taxon
|thumb|270px|[[African elephants]] form a widely-accepted taxon, the [[genus]] LoxodontaA taxon is a group of organisms, which a taxonomist adjudges to be a unit. Usually a taxon is given a name and a rank, although neither is a requirement...
, C. forbesii differs by having fewer, smaller upward-facing flowers, which are a deep blue, rather than violet-blue.