Armenian grape hyacinth
Muscari armeniacum Leichtlin ex Baker
[Liliaceae (Asparagaceae)]
Rurimusukari / Musukari (ルリムスカリ / ムスカリ)
Life form: bulbaceous perennial herb
Distribution: native to Asia Minor (escaped from gardening in Hokkaido)
Habitat: woods and meadows in the native regions
Synonyms (many cultivars)
Argaei Album, Album, Blue Spike, Cantab, Cote d'Azur, Dark Eyes, Early Giant, Fantasy Creation, Peppermint, Saphir, Valerie Finnis, etc.
Muscari Mill. in Japan
All species in this genus are exotic (帰化) to Japan
M. armeniacum Leichtlin ex Baker
Armenian grape hyacinth, garden grape hyacinth
4-8 linear leaves, 10-30 cm long. Flowering stalk, 10-30 cm high. Dense dark-blue flowers
M. botryoides (L.) Mill.
grape hyacinth; common grape hyacinth; ; small grape hyacinth
bell-shaped flowers in early spring, with 2-3 semi-erect leaves of which base are gray-green. Dense spikes with light blue flowers.
M. comosum (L.) Mill.
tassel grape hyacinth; fringe hyacinth; tassel hyacinth; feather hyacinth
bell-shaped flowers in late spring, with < 6 semi-erect, gray-green, bonnet-string leaves. brown-yellow fertile flowers, and red-blue infertile flowers.
M. moschatum Willd.
musk hyacinth, nutmeg hyacinth
raceme with 20-50 flowers.
flower, colors changing from purple to virescent, strongly scented
M. neglectum Guss. ex Ten.
grape hyacinth, nutmeg hyacinth, musk hyacinth, starch grape hyacinth
bulbous perennial, with 3-6 radical leaves. Raceme with dense bell-shaped, blue or violet flowers, 3-7 mm long.
Muscari armeniacum in Hokkaido
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| 1. a patch. (1-3. cv. armeniacum) | 2. leaves with flowers. | 3. close-up of an inflorescence. | 4. a flowering stalk (cv. Valerie Finnis) |
1-3: At a garden of a chruch at N26/E1, East Ward, Sapporo, on May 25 2011. 4: near an apartment, N28/E3, East Ward, Sapporo, on May 29 2011.