Scilla cretica
{{Short description|Species of plant in the family Asparagaceae}}
{{Speciesbox
|image =
|parent = Scilla sect. Chionodoxa
|taxon = Scilla cretica
|authority = (Boiss. & Heldr.) Speta
|synonyms =
{{Specieslist
|Chionodoxa cretica|Boiss. & Heldr., non Jaub. & Spach, nom. illeg.
|Hyacinthus creticus|(Boiss. & Heldr.) Nyman
}}
}}
Scilla cretica is a species of flowering plant in the Asparagaceae family.{{cite web|url= https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:540747-1|title= Scilla cretica (Boiss. & Heldr.) Speta|author=|date=n.d.|website=Plants of the World Online|publisher=The Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew|access-date= September 21, 2020}} It is referred to by the common name Cretan glory-of-the-snow, and is a bulbous perennial native to Crete, flowering in early spring. It belongs to a group of Scilla species that were formerly put in a separate genus, Chionodoxa, and may now be treated as Scilla sect. Chionodoxa.{{sfnp|ps=none|Yildirim|Yetisen|Özdemir|Özdemir|2017}} It has not always been recognized as distinct from Scilla nana.
Description
Like all members of the former genus Chionodoxa, the bases of the stamens are flattened and closely clustered in the middle of the flower. In other species of Scilla, the stamens are not flattened or clustered together.{{sfnp|ps=none|Mathew|1987|p=25}}
Taxonomy
The number of related species recognized as occurring in Crete has varied. In 1987, Sfikas' Wild flowers of Crete recognized two (then placed in Chionodoxa), C. cretica and C. nana.{{sfnp|ps=none|Sfikas|1987|p=268}} In 1993, the Natural History Museum's checklist of the Cretan Flora recognized only Scilla nana.{{sfnp|ps=none|Turland|Chilton|Press|Natural History Museum (London)|1993|p=185}} {{As of|2020|March}}, the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families accepted both S. cretica and S. nana. Sfikas regards S. cretica as being larger, with bluer flowers, occurring below 1700 m and S. nana as smaller, with whitish flowers, occurring above 1700 m.{{sfnp|ps=none|Sfikas|1987|p=268}}
Distribution and habitat
Scilla cretica is native to Crete where it is found at elevations of 1300–1700 m.
References
Bibliography
- {{Citation |last=Mathew |first=Brian |year=1987 |title=The Smaller Bulbs |location=London |publisher=B T Batsford|isbn=978-0-7134-4922-8 }}
- {{Citation |last=Mathew |first=Brian |year=2005 |title=Hardy Hyacinthaceae, Part 2: Scilla, Chionodoxa, xChionoscilla |journal=The Plantsman |series=New Series |volume=4 |issue=2 |pages=110–21 }}
- {{Citation |last=Sfikas |first=George |year=1987 |title=Wild Flowers of Crete |location=Athens |publisher=Efstathiadis |isbn=978-960-226-052-4 }}
- {{Citation |last1=Turland |first1=N.J. |last2=Chilton |first2=L. |last3=Press |first3=J.R |last4=Natural History Museum (London) |year=1993 |title=Flora of the Cretan Area: annotated checklist and atlas |location=London |publisher=HMSO |isbn=978-0-11-310043-9 |name-list-style=amp }}
- {{Citation |last1=Yildirim |first1=H. |last2=Yetisen |first2=K. |last3=Özdemir |first3=A. |last4=Özdemir |first4=C. |date=2017 |title=An Anatomical Study of Scilla (Scilloideae) Section Chionodoxa and Scilla bifolia in Turkey |journal=Planta Daninha |volume=35 |page=e017162495 |url=http://www.scielo.br/pdf/pd/v35/0100-8358-pd-35-017162495.pdf |access-date=2020-03-16 |doi=10.1590/s0100-83582017350100004 |name-list-style=amp |doi-access=free }}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q15503937}}
Category:Endemic flora of Crete
Category:Taxa named by Pierre Edmond Boissier