Muscari racemosum is a perennialbulbousflowering plant in the asparagus family Asparagaceae. The members of the genus are commonly known as grape hyacinths. Originally from south-west Turkey where it grows in rocky places, it is sometimes grown as an ornamental plant. It may be found in the horticultural literature under the synonym Muscari muscarimi.[2]
M. racemosum resembles M. macrocarpum (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. Individual flowers are 7–9 mm long, grey-white when fully open, sometimes with a bluish tone; they have a distinct scent of musk.[2] This is the species from which the genus gets its name (Muscari is from the Greek muschos, meaning musk).[3]
^ abMathew, Brian (1987), The Smaller Bulbs, London: B.T. Batsford, ISBN978-0-7134-4922-8, p. 130 (under the name M. muscarimi)
^Garbari, F. & Greuter, W. (1970), "On the Taxonomy and Typification of Muscari Miller (Liliaceae) and Allied Genera, and on the Typification of Generic Names", Taxon, 19 (3): 329–335, doi:10.2307/1219056, JSTOR1219056