Muscari
(from Moschus, Musk; alluding to the smell of the flowers). Grape Hyacinth. Including Botryanthus. ORD. Liliaceae. A genus of very pretty hardy bulbous plants, natives of Europe, North Africa, and Western Asia. A great many plants have been described as species, but probably not more than forty are really distinct. Flowers suffused with blue, or greenish-blue or white, pendulous or nodding, racemose; perianth small, tubular, globose, often constricted at the mouth, with small reflexed lobes; scape simple, leafless. Leaves radical, few, linear, rather fleshy. Bulbs tunicated. The species of Muscari are well adapted for planting in the mixed or shrubbery border, and for naturalising in sunny spots amongst short grass, &c. They succeed in almost any soil and situation, but increase most rapidly where the former is rich, and of a free, open description. Propagation is readily effected by means of offsets, and by seeds, which latter ripen freely. For obtaining offsets, the old bulbs should be lifted early in the autumn of every second year. When none are required, they may be left alone for a much longer period, and allowed to increase. An annual topdressing of fresh soil may be given with advantage in early spring, before the flowering season commences. M. aestivale (summer). fl. yellow, with green ribs, the upper ones tinged with purple; scape 6in. to 8in. high, erect, pale green, mottled with purple below. June. l. bright green. long-linear, deeply concave. Native country unknown. 1877. (B. M. 6269.) M. armeniacum (Armenian). fl. bright dark blue, with three small yellow dots near the mouth of the perianth, disposed in a dense spike about 2 1/2in. long, very agreeably fragrant. May l. concave, acuminated, 9in. long, 1/2in. broad. h. 6in. Armenia.
M. botryoides (cluster-like).* fl. deep sky-blue, with six small white teeth or segments, disposed in a short, dense, almost globose cluster. Spring. l. linear, channelled, stiff, erect, slightly glaucous. h. 6in. to 12in. Europe, 1596. A well-known and pretty plant. (S. B. F. G. 15; B. M. 157, under name of Hyacinthus botryoides.) This species has two or three varieties, including album, with white, and pallidum, with pale blue flowers. M. commutatum (changeable). fl. bluish at first, changing tc reddish-purple, disposed in very short racemes; teeth of perianth inflexed. Spring. l. linear, flaccid, longer than the flower-stem. h. 6in. to 10in. Sicily, 1836. (S. B. F. G. ser. ii. 369.) M. comosum (tufted), fl., sterile ones blue, twenty to thirty, corymbose; fertile perianth obovoid-urceolate, amethystine-olive; racemes loose, forty to one-hundred flowered; scape 1ft. or more long, dusky-spotted. April. l. three or four, fleshy-herbaceous, pale green, linear-lorate, 1ft. to 1 1/2ft. long, 1/2in. to lin. broad South Europe, 1596. (B.M.133, under name of Hyacinthus comosus.) M. c. monstrosum (monstrous-tufted).* Feather Hyacinth. fl. bluish-violet, all barren, and the inflorescence transformed into a dense tuft of slender ramifications. Early summer. l. linear, toothed at the edges, longer than the flower-stem. h. 1ft. to 1 1/2ft. South Europe, 1596. A very remarkable and distinct form, far too rarely seen in our gardens.
M. concinnum (neat). fl. bright blue, tipped with white, strongly scented; raceme dense, over lin. long; scape 3in. to 4in. long. Spring. l. linear-sub-terete, 6in. long, about 1/6in. broad. Native country uncertain. M. conicum (conical). fl., fertile ones bright violet-blue; sterile ones few, light blue; raceme dense, oblong-conical, lin. long; scape slender, 6in. long. March. l. flaccid, six to a bulb, nearly 1ft. long. Campagna. M. dilutum (diluted). fl., perfect ones deep violet; sterile ones pale violet, crowded, sessile; raceme dense, 1 1/2in. long; scape 4in. to 6in. long. Spring. l. several, linear, flaccid, 1ft. long, under 1/4in. broad, red-purple at base. Native country unknown.
M. Elwesii (Elwes')* fl., sterile ones bright blue, few; raceme dense, 1/2in. to 3/4in. long; scape slender, 3in. to 4in. long, reddish at base. April. l. several, flaccid, terete, 6in. long, half a line in diameter. Caria. M. grandifolium (large-leaved). fl. livid blue; racemes densely fifteen to twenty-flowered; scape 5in. to 6in. long. l. five or six, fleshy-herbaceous, glaucescent, 1 1/4ft. to 1 1/2ft. long, 1/2in. broad, linear-lorate, flaccid. 1869. (Ref. B. 173.) M. Heldreichii (Heldreich's).* fl. blue, very similar to those of M. botryoides, but nearly double the size, and arranged in a longer raceme. Spring. l. linear, flat. h. 8in. Greece, 1869. (Ref. B. 172.) M. luteum (yellow). fl. large, very dull yellow at first, but changing to a clear, waxy, sulphur-colour, delightfully fragrant. Spring l. channelled, 8in. to 10in. long. h. 6in. South Europe.
M. macrocarpum (large-fruited). A synonym of M. moschatum flavum. M. micranthum (small-flowered). fl. fragrant; fertile ones bright violet; sterile ones pale blue, minute; racemes dense; scape slender, 4in. to 5in. long. April. l. 5in. to 6in. long 1/8in. to 1/6in. broad, flaccid, linear, sub-terete.
M. moschatum (musky).* Musk Hyacinth. fl. purplish at first, changing to a greenish-yellow tinged with violet, very fragrant, arranged in a dense, nearly globose cluster, about 2 1/2in. long. Spring. l. alternate, linear, concave, about as long as the flowerstem. h. 8in. to 10in. Asia Minor, 1596. A pretty and exceedingly fragrant, but very inconspicuous species. (B. M. 734.) M. m. flavum (yellow). fl., perianth yellowish; teeth purple; racemes loose, 2in. to 3in. long, lin. or more thick. (B. M. 1565; S. B. F. G. 210, under name of M. macrocarpum.) M. neglectum (neglected).* fl. deep blue, sweet-scented; raceme dense, thirty to forty-flowered, 1 1/2in. to 2in. long, nearly lin. wide; scape 6in. to 9in. long. l. linear, filiform, deeply channelled, fleshy. France, Italy, &c. (G. Aug. 16, 1884.) M. pallens (pale). fl. white, abortive ones three or four, subsessile; raceme dense, twelve to twenty-flowered; scape 3in. to 5in. long. May. l. two, filiform, semi-terete, 6in. to 8in. long, one line broad, greenish. Crimea, 1822. (S. B. F. G. 259.) M. paradoxum (paradox).* fl. blue-black, greenish inside, faintly scented; raceme dense, conical, 1 1/2in. long; rachis lurid purple; scape green, 5in. to 6in. long. April. l. three, erect, terete, 8in. to 9in. long, 1/2in. to 3/4in. broad. Bulb large. Caucasus. A well-marked plant. M. racemosum (racemose).* fl. dark blue, small, ultimately changing to a reddish-purple, and sometimes tipped with white, smelling strongly of Plums; racemes terminal, dense. Spring. l. linear, stiff, fleshy, 6in. to 12in. long. h. 4in. to 8in. Europe (Britain), Asia. (Sy. En. B. 1529; B. M. 122, under name of Hyacinthus racemosus.) M. Szovitsianum (Szovits').* fl. faintly scented; fertile ones bright blue; sterile ones light blue; raceme dense, 1 1/2in. long; scape 4in. to 5in. long. March and April. l. flaccid, linear-subterete, 5in. to 6in. long, 1/8in. to 1/6in. broad. Bulb rather large. Persia, Caucasus, &c.