Clade Monocots Rank Species | Clade Angiosperms | |
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Similar Muscari latifolium, Muscari macrocarpum, Muscari armeniacum, Muscari botryoides, Muscari neglectum | ||
Description
Muscari aucheri is a perennial bulbous plant, one of a number of species and genera known as Grape Hyacinth. Originally from Turkey, where it grows in grassy alpine areas, it is sometimes grown as an ornamental plant. The name M. tubergenianum (also spelt M. tubergianum) may be used in the horticultural literature.
M. aucheri is usually less than 10 centimetres (3.9 in) tall, although taller forms are known. There are usually only two or three leaves per bulb, relatively wide for a Muscari, which have a greyish green upper side and a hooded or boat-shaped tip. The flowers are arranged in a dense spike or raceme. The lower fertile flowers are bright blue with whitish lobes or teeth around the mouth of the more or less spherical flower; the upper sterile flowers are a paler blue or almost white.
In cultivation it is said to be easy to grow but not to increase very rapidly. The plant sold under the name M. tubergenianum is more robust than the wild form, or possibly a hybrid.
Numerous cultivars are available, such as 'Blue Magic', 'White Magic', 'Mount Hood' and 'Dark Eyes' (the last has also been listed as a cultivar of M. armeniacum or M. botryoides).
