familyLiliaceae
genusScilla

Scilla

Linnaeus

Sp. Pl. 1: 308. 1753.

,

Gen. Pl. ed. 5, 146. 1754.

Common names: Squill
Etymology: Greek skilla, squill, the officinal or its source, Urginea maritima, syn. Scilla maritima
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 26. Treatment on page 320. Mentioned on page 58, 315.
 TaxonIllustrator 
FNA26 Plate 048.jpegMuscari botryoides
Ornithogalum umbellatum
Scilla siberica
Yevonn Wilson-Ramsey
Yevonn Wilson-Ramsey
Yevonn Wilson-Ramsey

Herbs, perennial, scapose, from bulbs. Bulbs perennial, ovoid to globose, composed of free scales, progressively renewed annually. Leaves few, basal. Inflorescences racemose or cymose, 1–many-flowered, sometimes bracteate; bracts none or 1, subtending each flower. Flowers: perianth usually blue or purple, rarely white; tepals distinct to base, each 1-veined; stamens 6; filaments inserted at base of perianth, distinct; anthers dorsifixed, introrse; pistil 1, 3-carpellate; ovary superior, 3-locular, septal nectaries present, ovules 1–10 per locule; style simple. Fruits capsular, 3-lobed, subglobose, dehiscence loculicidal. Seeds 3–30, not winged, globose to ellipsoid, elaiosomes present. x = 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12.

Distribution

Introduced; Eurasia, especially Mediterranean area and sw Asia, s Africa

Discussion

Species ca. 50 (1 in the flora).

A number of species of Scilla are commonly grown for their early, showy spring flowers, and present the possibility of becoming naturalized. In particular, S. bifolia Linnaeus, two-leaved squill, has been reported in Michigan (E. G. Voss 1972–1985, vol. 1) and northwestern Indiana (F. Swink and G. S. Wilhelm 1994). The summer-flowering hyacinth squill, S. hyacinthoides Linnaeus [Nectaroscilla hyacinthoides (Linnaeus) Parlatore], has been collected along roadsides near Mooringsport, Louisiana, and in Navarro County, Texas; it is readily distinguished from the spring-flowering species by its tall scapes (30–80 cm) with more than 40 flowers, and its more numerous leaves (8–10).

F. Speta (1998, 1998b) drastically split Scilla, placing the Eurasian members into 10–12 mostly small genera on the basis of molecular (M. Pfosser and F. Speta 1999) and karyological (J. Greilhuber 1982; J. Greilhuber et al. 1981; F. Speta 1979) studies, as well as morphological data. Some of these segregate genera correspond to subgenera and sections recognized in other Eurasian treatments over the past 75 years (e.g., P. Chouard 1930; J. McNeill 1980; E. V. Mordak 1984), but others represent even finer splitting.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

"broad" is not a number."thicker" is not a number.

... more about "Scilla"
dorsifixed +
cordate +  and linear +
J. McNeill +
Linnaeus +
whorled +, opposite +  and alternate +
dilated +
reticulate-veined +  and parallel-veined +
sheathing +  and involucrate +
subtending +
tunicate +  and scaly +
renewed +  and perennial +
Eurasia +, especially Mediterranean area and sw Asia +  and s Africa +
Greek skilla, squill, the officinal or its source, Urginea maritima, syn. Scilla maritima +
connate-coroniform +  and dilated +
sessile +  and pedicellate +
unisexual +  and bisexual +
loculicidal +
subglobose +  and 3-lobed +
membranaceous +  and leathery +
bracteate +, 1-many-flowered +  and cymose +
persistent +
zygomorphic +  and actinomorphic +
white +, purple +  and blue +
Sp. Pl. +  and Gen. Pl. ed. +
1753 +  and 1754 +
wind-distributed +
3 +  and 30 +
globose +  and ellipsoid +
adnate +  and free +
staminodial +
1 +  and several +
3 +  and 1 +
Liliaceae +
distinct +
sepaloid +  and petaloid +
narrower +
3 +  and 2 +
12 +, 11 +, 10 +, 9 +, 8 +, 7 +, 6 +  and 5 +