Muscari armeniacum Veitch
Grape Hyacinth
Clump-forming, grass-like. Bulb globose, to 2.5 cm diam.; tunic thin. brown. Leaves 3-8, ± erect, later elongating and drooping, 30-40 cm × 5-8-(10) mm, linear, concavo-convex, shining green on convex surface, dull and glaucous on concave surface. Scapes 1-3, to 30 cm × 5 mm, green, greyish-blue below inflorescence. Raceme to 10 cm long, at first hidden among leaves, conspicuous when scapes elongate and leaves droop. Flowers many 6-7 mm long, bright-blue to violet-blue, oblong to obovate, campanulate, fleshy, contracted at mouth; lobes white, recurved; pedicel slightly < flower, (or 0 in upper sterile flowers); bract white, minute. Sterile flowers to 18, smaller towards apex of raceme, entirely bright sky-blue. Capsule c. 7 mm long, triquetrous, firmly membranous. Seeds c. 2 mm long, black.
N. Auckland City; Wellington - Palmerston North, Hutt Valley. S. Nelson - Ruby Bay, near Nelson City, Golden Downs; Marlborough - near Rapaura; Canterbury - Kowai River, Ashley River near Rangiora, Christchurch, Waimate; Otago - Cromwell, Ranfurly, Dunedin; Southland - Riverton. Garden escape in grass along roadsides.
(Asia Minor)
First record: Healy 1958: 541, as "Muscari neglectum Guss."
First collection: "Terrace End, Palmerston North, grassy roadside, A.J. Healy 53/836, 19.8.1953, well-established" ().
FL. 8-10. FT. 10-12.
In the last 50-60 years M. armeniacum cv. Heavenly Blue, has been commonly cultivated in N.Z. In horticulture it replaced M. neglectum which has rather more compact racemes of deep blackish-blue flowers. It is possible that M. neglectum was also naturalised in N.Z., but in the herbarium, it is very difficult to distinguish specimens of M. neglectum from M. armeniacum, and no positive identification of M. neglectum as an adventive has been made.
