Hyacinthoides italica
{{Short description|Species of flowering plant}}
{{Speciesbox
| genus = Hyacinthoides
| species = italica
| image = Liliaceae - Hyacinthoides italica.jpg
| authority = (L.) Chouard ex Rothm.
| synonyms =
{{specieslist|Endymion italicus|(L.) Chouard
|Hyacinthus italicus|(L.) E.H.L.Krause
|Ornithogalum spicatum|Gaterau
|Scilla bertolonii|Duby
|Scilla byzantina|Poir.
|Scilla italica|L.
|Scilla pallida|Salisb.
|Scilla pauciflora|Link ex Schult. & Schult.
|Scilla purpurea|Mill.
|Somera italica|(L.) Salisb.}}
}}
Hyacinthoides italica, the Italian bluebell or Italian squill, is a spring-flowering bulbous perennial plant belonging to the family Asparagaceae.[http://www.ipni.org/ipni/idPlantNameSearch.do?id=536679-1 Hyacinthoides italica (L.) Rothm., Feddes Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 53: 15 (1944).] International Plant Names Index www.ipni.org, accessed 16 May 2021[https://www.biolib.cz/en/taxon/id639056/ species: Italian Bluebell Hyacinthoides italica (L.) Rothm.] Biolib, www.biolib.cz, accessed 16 May 2021
It is one of around 11 species in the genus Hyacinthoides, others including the common bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) in northwestern Europe, and the Spanish bluebell (Hyacinthoides hispanica) further west in the Iberian Peninsula.{{Citation |title=World Checklist of Selected Plant Families |publisher=The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew |url=http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/home.do |accessdate=2011-07-05}}, search for "Hyacinthoides"
Description
Hyacinthoides italica is up to {{convert|10|-|40|cm}} tall. The stem is leafless. It has 3-6 basal lance-shaped leaves, {{convert|4|-|15|mm}} wide and {{convert|7|-|15|cm}} long. The inflorescence is a dense, conical or pyramid-like raceme with 5-30 bright violet-blue star-like flowers. The flowers have two narrow bracts. Flowering period extends from February to May.[http://www.actaplantarum.org/floraitaliae/viewtopic.php?t=46050 Hyacinthoides italica (L.) Rothm. {ID 4091} - Scilla della riviera] Acta Plantarum, www.actaplantarum.org, accessed 16 May 2021[http://linnaeus.nrm.se/flora/mono/hyacintha/hyaci/hyacita.html Italiensk blåstjärna Hyacinthoides italica (L.) Rothm.] Den virtuella floran linnaeus.nrm.se, accessed 16 May 2021PIGNATTI S., 1982. Flora d'Italia, Edagricole, Bologna
It is in some respects intermediate between the common and Spanish species in having slender leaves (as in H. non-scripta or even slenderer), but a dense raceme of flowers (as in H. hispanica; not sparse and one-sided as in H. non-scripta).
Hyacinthoides italica is used as an ornamental plant. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.{{cite web|title=Hyacinthoides italica|url= https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/53654/Hyacinthoides-italica/Details |publisher=Royal Horticultural Society|accessdate=25 August 2020}}{{cite web | url= https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/pdfs/agm-lists/agm-ornamentals.pdf | title = AGM Plants - Ornamental | date = July 2017 | page = 50 | publisher = Royal Horticultural Society | accessdate = 3 March 2018}}
Distribution
This species is native to the central Mediterranean region, in northwestern Italy, in southern France, and in northeastern Spain.[http://luirig.altervista.org/flora/taxa/index1.php?scientific-name=hyacinthoides+italica Hyacinthoides italica (L.) Rothm.] luirig.altervista.org, accessed 16 May 2021
Habitat
It can be found in olive groves, in dry and stony meadows and in clearings of forests at an elevation up to {{convert|1700|m}} above sea level.
Gallery
File: Hyacinthoides_italica_613.jpg
File:Berne botanic garden Hyacinthoides italica.jpg
File: Liliaceae - Hyacinthoides italic-001.jpg
File: Liliaceae - Hyacinthoides italic-002.jpg
References
=Notes=
{{Reflist}}
=General references=
- Huxley, A. (1992). New RHS Dictionary of Gardening vol. 2: 604. Macmillan.
{{Taxonbar|from=Q842040}}