Muscari neglectum - Southern Grape Hyacinth
Phylum: Magnoliophyta - Class: Equisetopsida - Order: Asparagales - Family: Asparagaceae
Also referred to as Common Grape Hyacinth, Starch Hyacinth, Blue Bottle or simply Grape Hyacinth, this perennial wildflower grows from a bulb. Typically, plants reach a height of about 12 cm, but in sheltered locations specimens up to 20cm tall can be found.
Distribution
Growing wild throughout the Mediterranean, this is another favourite from our gardens at home in Britain and Ireland. The forms found growing in are much darker than our culitvars - some being almost black. Southern Grape Hyacinth is also found throughout other parts of southern and central Europe, including Slovenia.
Habitat
A common sight in grassy coastal dune slacks, Muscari neglectum also occurs quite frequently in abandoned fields, scrub and in exposed rocky places.
Grape Hyacinth can be found from February onwards in the southern part of the Iberian Peninsular.
The specimens shown here were photographed in April in the Algarve, in southern Portugal .
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