Family |
Asparagaceae
Leopoldia comosa
(L.) Parl.
Leopoldia comosa (L.) Parl.
First published in Giorn. Bot. Ital. 2(2): 160 (1847).
(Nouvelle Flore du Liban et de la Syrie, vol. 1, pp. 253–254, under Muscari comosum, Pl. LXXX, 4; 1966)
Accepted name in Kew: Muscari comosum (L.) Mill., first published in Gard. Dict., ed. 8.: n.° 2 (1768).
Description
Life-form & habit: Bulbous perennial with a bulb 2–4 cm across, covered by brown tunics, and a flowering stem 30–70 cm tall.
Leaves: Broadly lanceolate, sometimes up to 22 mm wide, with finely toothed, hair-fringed margins.
Inflorescence & flowers: Loose raceme 10–30 cm long. Sterile flowers pale blue, often numerous and crowded, on stalks longer than those of the fertile flowers. Fertile flower stalks vary from very short to 1 cm or more; fertile flowers are brown or sometimes greenish when fresh, 4–6 mm long, rounded or nearly truncate at the base.
Fruit: Nearly spherical, three-angled capsule, as long as broad, rounded rather than notched at the tip.
Flowering and habitat
Phenology: March–June.
Habitat & elevation: Fields, scrub and pastures.
Distribution
Lebanese distribution: Saida, Aouzai, Chiyah, Hazmiye, Beirut, Nahr Ibrahim, Tripoli, Abey, Antoura, Bikfaya, below Beit Meri, Rayfoun, Feitroun, Jamhour, Falougha, Hasroun, Hadeth, Ehden, Bcharre, Qabb Elias, Zahle, Chtaura and Rachaya.
Syrian distribution: Kessab, Wadi Qandil, Ain Haramiye, Kurd Dagh, Aleppo, Eriha, Karatchok Dagh, Yabroud, Soueida, Qanaouat forest and Chahba.
Recorded locations: Kornet Chehwan and Kfertay.
Native range: Albania, Algeria, Austria, Baleares, Bulgaria, Canary Is., Corse, Cyprus, Czechia-Slovakia, East Aegean Is., Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Kriti, Krym, Lebanon-Syria, Libya, Morocco, NW. Balkan Pen., Palestine, Portugal, Romania, Sardegna, Sicilia, Sinai, Spain, Switzerland, Tunisia, Türkiye, Türkiye-in-Europe, Ukraine.
Introduced into: Alabama, Belgium, Denmark, Georgia, Great Britain, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, Netherlands, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Poland, South Australia, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington.
⚠️ Taxonomic note:
Kew treats Leopoldia comosa as a synonym of Muscari comosum. The native and introduced ranges below follow that accepted species; the CMS plant name is retained.