Hyacinth (plant)

Hyacinth (plant)

Taxobox
name = "Hyacinthus"


image_width = 250px
image_caption = "Hyacinthus orientalis" natural type
regnum = Plantae
divisio = Magnoliophyta
classis = Liliopsida
ordo = Asparagales
familia = Hyacinthaceae
genus = "Hyacinthus"
genus_authority = L.
subdivision_ranks = species
subdivision = "Hyacinthus litwinowii" "Hyacinthus orientalis" "Hyacinthus transcaspicus"

A Hyacinth is any plant of genus "Hyacinthus", which are bulbous herbs formerly placed in the lily family Liliaceae but now regarded as the type genus of the separate family Hyacinthaceae. Hyacinths are native to the eastern Mediterranean region east to Iran and Turkmenistan. Hyacinths are sometimes associated with rebirth. The Hyacinth flower is used in the Haftseen table setting for the Persian New Year celebration Norouz held during the Spring Equinox.

Only three species are currently recognised within the genus "Hyacinthus". They are:
*"Hyacinthus litwinowii"
*"Hyacinthus orientalis" - Common, Dutch or Garden Hyacinth
*"Hyacinthus transcaspicus"

Some authorities place "H. litwonowii" and "H. transcaspicus" in the related genus "Hyacinthella", leaving "Hyacinthus" as monotypic.

The Dutch, or Common Hyacinth of house and garden culture ("H. orientalis", native to southwest Asia) was so popular in the 18th century that over 2,000 cultivars were cultivated in the Netherlands, its chief commercial producer. This hyacinth has a single dense spike of fragrant flowers in shades of red, blue, white, orange, pink, violet, or yellow. A form of the common hyacinth is the less hardy and smaller blue- or white-petalled Roman hyacinth of florists. These flowers should have indirect sunlight and are to be moderately watered.

The related grape hyacinths ("Muscari"), sometimes called baby's-breath, are very low, mostly blue-flowered plants similar in appearance to hyacinths and are also commonly cultivated.

Several types of brodiea, deathcamas, squill, and other plants that were formerly classified in the lily family and have flower clusters borne along the stalk also have common names with hyacinth in them.

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  • Hyacinth — Hy a*cinth, n. [L. hyacinthus a kind of flower, prob. the iris, gladiolus, or larkspur, also a kind of gem, perh. the sapphire; as, a proper name, Hyacinthus, a beautiful Laconian youth, beloved by Apollo, fr. Gr. ?, ?: cf. F. hyacinthe. Cf.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Hyacinth bean — Hyacinth Hy a*cinth, n. [L. hyacinthus a kind of flower, prob. the iris, gladiolus, or larkspur, also a kind of gem, perh. the sapphire; as, a proper name, Hyacinthus, a beautiful Laconian youth, beloved by Apollo, fr. Gr. ?, ?: cf. F. hyacinthe …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Hyacinth of Peru — Hyacinth Hy a*cinth, n. [L. hyacinthus a kind of flower, prob. the iris, gladiolus, or larkspur, also a kind of gem, perh. the sapphire; as, a proper name, Hyacinthus, a beautiful Laconian youth, beloved by Apollo, fr. Gr. ?, ?: cf. F. hyacinthe …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • hyacinth — 1550s, the plant hyacinth; re Greeked from earlier jacinth (late 14c.) hyacinth; blue cornflower, earlier a precious stone blue (rarely red) in color (c.1200), from O.Fr. jacinte and M.L. jacintus, ultimately from Gk. hyakinthos, probably… …   Etymology dictionary

  • hyacinth — ► NOUN ▪ a plant with a spike of bell shaped fragrant flowers. ORIGIN named after Hyacinthus in Greek mythology: Hyacinthus was a youth loved by the god Apollo but accidentally killed by him, from whose blood Apollo caused a flower to grow …   English terms dictionary

  • Hyacinth bean — Taxobox name = Hyacinth bean image width = 240px image caption = Hyacinth bean plant regnum = Plantae divisio = Magnoliophyta classis = Magnoliopsida ordo = Fabales familia = Fabaceae subfamilia = Faboideae tribus = Phaseoleae genus = Lablab… …   Wikipedia

  • hyacinth — /huy euh sinth/, n. 1. a bulbous plant, Hyacinthus orientalis, of the lily family, widely cultivated for its cylindrical cluster of fragrant flowers in a variety of colors. 2. any of various similar or related plants, as the grape hyacinth or the …   Universalium

  • hyacinth — hy•a•cinth [[t]ˈhaɪ ə sɪnθ[/t]] n. 1) pln a bulbous plant, Hyacinthus orientalis, of the lily family, cultivated for its cylindrical cluster of fragrant, colorful flowers 2) pln any similar orrelated plant, as the grape hyacinth or the water… …   From formal English to slang

  • hyacinth — noun Etymology: Latin hyacinthus, a precious stone, a flowering plant, from Greek hyakinthos Date: 1553 1. a. a precious stone of the ancients sometimes held to be the sapphire b. a gem zircon or essonite 2. a. a plant of the ancients held to be… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • hyacinth — n. 1 any bulbous plant of the genus Hyacinthus with racemes of usu. purplish blue, pink, or white bell shaped fragrant flowers. 2 = grape hyacinth. 3 the purplish blue colour of the hyacinth flower. 4 an orange variety of zircon used as a… …   Useful english dictionary

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