Asparagus Family [Asparagaceae] |
status
flower
inner
morph
petals
type
type
type
stem
toxicity
28th april 2010, Craven Arms, Shropshire. | Photo: © RWD |
Unlike the native Grape-Hyacinth with its dark blackish-blue flowers, Garden Grape-hyacinth is a garden escapee with bright royal-blue flowers. Spreads either by seed or vegetatively. |
29th March 2018, back paths, Formby, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
Like Grape-Hyacinth the leaves are linear to oblanceolate. |
29th March 2018, back paths, Formby, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
Like Grape-Hyacinth the flowers are in a clustered spike at the top of a smooth stem. |
29th March 2018, back paths, Formby, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
The flowers at the top of the spike are sterile like those of Grape-Hyacinth but the fertile flowers below are slightly smaller at 3.5 - 5.5mm (as opposed to 3.5 - 7.5mm for Grape-Hyacinth). |
29th March 2018, back paths, Formby, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
The flowers are oblate spheroids before opening. The opening is small and has 6 very short peeled-back petals / tepals which are either whitish or heliotrope light-purple. |
29th March 2018, back paths, Formby, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
The closed flowers show that there are three outer tepals and 3 inner petals, as usual for the Asperagaceae family (but other books say they are just tepals - take your pick). |
29th March 2018, back paths, Formby, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
The fertile flowers have six stamens bearing white pollen and 3-celled ovary (hidden within). |
29th March 2018, back paths, Formby, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
Dark anthers with white pollen. |
Not to be semantically confused with : Oregon-Grape (Mahonia aquifolium),
Can be mistaken for : other Grape-hyacinths such as Grape-Hyacinth (Muscari neglectum) (but that is a Quink Ink Bbue-black) and Distinguishing Features : see captions
|
Muscari | armeniacum | ⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ | Asparagaceae |
Muscari (Grape-Hyacinths) |
Asparagus Family [Asparagaceae] |