Muscari macrocarpum

Muscari macrocarpum
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
clade:	Angiosperms
clade:	Monocots
Order:	Asparagales
Family:	Asparagaceae
Subfamily:	Scilloideae
Genus:	Muscari
Species:	M. macrocarpum
Binomial name
Muscari macrocarpum Mill.
Synonyms[1]
Muscarimia macrocarpa (Sweet) Garbari Muscarimia flava (Ker Gawl.) Garbari Muscari moschatum var. flavum Ker Gawl. M. moschatum var. creticum Baker M. creticum (Baker) N.E.Br. M. luteum Tod. ex Nyman

Muscari macrocarpum is a perennial bulbous plant, one of a number of species and genera known as Grape Hyacinth, in this case Yellow Grape Hyacinth.^[2] Originally from eastern Crete, Amorgos and south-west Turkey, where it grows in rocky places, it is sometimes grown as an ornamental plant.^[3]

M. macrocarpum resembles M. racemosum (with which it has been placed in the Muscarimia group of the genus Muscari). It is a robust plant, with large bulbs which have thick fleshy roots. Each bulb produces several greyish-green leaves. Flowers are borne in a spike or raceme on a stem 10–15 cm high. Individual flowers are may be over 1 cm long, violet in bud and yellow when fully open; they have a distinct scent resembling bananas.^[3]

References

1. ^ WCSP (2011), World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/home.do, retrieved 2011-11-14 , search for "Muscari macrocarpum"
2. ^ Grey-Wilson, Christopher; Mathew, Brian & Blamey, Marjorie (1981), Bulbs : the bulbous plants of Europe and their allies, London: Collins, ISBN 978-0-00-219211-8 , p. 116
3. ^ ^{a b} Mathew, Brian (1987), The Smaller Bulbs, London: B.T. Batsford, ISBN 978-0-7134-4922-8 , pp. 130