Chionodoxa lochiae

Chionodoxa lochiae
Chionodoxa lochiae
Scientific classification e
Kingdom: Plantae
clade: Angiosperms
clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Asparagaceae
Subfamily: Scilloideae
Genus: Chionodoxa
Species: C. lochiae
Binomial name
Chionodoxa lochiae
Meikle

Chionodoxa lochiae or Loch's Glory-of-the-snow is a bulbous perennial from Cyprus flowering in early spring. After flowering, it goes into dormancy until the next spring. It was named after Lady Loch who collected it.[1]

Like all members of the genus Chionodoxa, the bases of the stamens are flattened and closely clustered in the middle of the flower. In the related genus Scilla, the stamens are not flattened or clustered together.[2] The differences are not considered by some botanists as sufficient to create a separate genus, so they include this species in Scilla.[3]

C. lochiae is an endemic of the Toodos Mountains of Cyprus, where it flowers during March and April in moist organic soils in pine forests at higher elevations. Found only in a small area, it is strictly protected under the Berne Convention.[4]

It has relatively few flowers in a raceme, each about 2.5 cm in diameter. The flowers are bright blue, without white at the base of the tepals, as most other species of Chionodoxa have, although the stamen bases are white. Photographs taken in the wild show the flowers nodding rather than upright.[1][5]

Notes and references

  1. ^ a b Mathew 1987, p. 26
  2. ^ Mathew 1987, p. 25
  3. ^ Dashwood & Mathew 2005, p. 5
  4. ^ Chionodoxa lochiae - Χιονόδοξα η λοχεία, http://agioi-anargyroi.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=107:chionodoxa-lochiae&catid=43:2008-11-13-20-29-07&Itemid=83, retrieved 6 April 2010 
  5. ^ Chionodoxa lochiae, http://www.bulbsociety.org/GALLERY_OF_THE_WORLDS_BULBS/GRAPHICS/Chionodoxa/Chionodoxa_lochiae/Chionodoxa%20lochiae.html, retrieved 6 April 2010 

Bibliography


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