Unexpected name change in Muscari
Jane McGary (Thu, 17 Nov 2011 16:50:28 PST)
The plant I grow as Muscari muscarimi is quite different from that I
have grown (from Archibalds' seeds) as M. racemosum. I can't see how
they could be conspecific: for one thing, M. muscarimi makes a few
large offsets, and M. racemosum makes more (though not as many as,
say, M. azureum) and smaller offsets. The former is brownish-cream to
white, and the latter is deep indigo-blue.
Jane McGary
Portland, Oregon, USA
At 03:48 PM 11/17/2011, you wrote:
I was checking the Kew list yesterday to be sure I had some names
right. I was curious to see what the Muscari which in the past has
been called moschatum, muscarimi, ambrosiacum and probably other
names is currently called. There was a big surprise here: evidently
it's now Muscari recemosum.
Does anyone know if this means that the plant we have long known as
Muscari racemosum has a new name also? Or are "old" Muscari
racemosum and the musk hyacinth now being treated as conspecific?
Jim McKenney