Pseudomuscari
Encyclopedia
Pseudomuscari is a genus
of bulbous
perennial
s in the family Asparagaceae
, subfamily Scilloideae. They were formerly included in the genus Muscari (as the Pseudomuscari group, section or subgenus). Species of Pseudomuscari have flowers in shades of pale or bright blue, and are small plants with dense flower spikes or raceme
s. A feature which distinguishes them from Muscari is the bell-shaped flower which is not constricted at the mouth. One species, P. azureum
, is popularly grown in gardens as an ornamental Spring-flowering plant.
and Werner Greuter in 1970.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of bulbous
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...
s in the family Asparagaceae
Asparagaceae
Asparagaceae is the botanical name of a family of flowering plants, placed in the order Asparagales of the monocots.In earlier classification systems, the species involved were often treated as belonging to the family Liliaceae...
, subfamily Scilloideae. They were formerly included in the genus Muscari (as the Pseudomuscari group, section or subgenus). Species of Pseudomuscari have flowers in shades of pale or bright blue, and are small plants with dense flower spikes or raceme
Raceme
A raceme is a type of inflorescence that is unbranched and indeterminate and bears pedicellate flowers — flowers having short floral stalks called pedicels — along the axis. In botany, axis means a shoot, in this case one bearing the flowers. In a raceme, the oldest flowers are borne...
s. A feature which distinguishes them from Muscari is the bell-shaped flower which is not constricted at the mouth. One species, P. azureum
Pseudomuscari azureum
Pseudomuscari azureum is a perennial bulbous plant. It is one of a number of species and genera known as Grape Hyacinth....
, is popularly grown in gardens as an ornamental Spring-flowering plant.
Taxonomy
The genus was formerly included in Muscari. The group of species now placed in Pseudomuscari was separated off as a section within Muscari by A.S. Losina-Losinskaja in a 1935 publication and as a subgenus by D.C. Stuart in 1965, but neither name was validly published, and the genus was first formally named by Fabio GarbariFabio Garbari
Fabio Garbari is an Italian botanist. In 2000–2002 he was listed as a Professor in the Department of Botanical Science of the University of Pisa.-References:...
and Werner Greuter in 1970.
Species
, the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families accepts 7 species:- Pseudomuscari azureumPseudomuscari azureumPseudomuscari azureum is a perennial bulbous plant. It is one of a number of species and genera known as Grape Hyacinth....
(Fenzl) Garbari & Greuter - Pseudomuscari chalusicum (D.C.Stuart) Garbari
- Pseudomuscari coeleste (Fomin) Garbari
- Pseudomuscari coeruleum (Losinsk.) Garbari
- Pseudomuscari forniculatum (Fomin) Garbari
- Pseudomuscari inconstrictum (Rech.f.) Garbari
- Pseudomuscari pallens (M.Bieb.) Garbari