Pseudomuscari is a genus of bulbous perennials in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae.[1] They were formerly included in the genus Muscari (as the Pseudomuscari group, section or subgenus). Species of Pseudomuscari have flowers in shades of pale or bright blue, and are small plants with dense flower spikes or racemes. A feature which distinguishes them from Muscari is the bell-shaped flower which is not constricted at the mouth. One species, P. azureum, is popularly grown in gardens as an ornamental Spring-flowering plant.[2]
| Pseudomuscari | |
|---|---|
| |
| P. azureum | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Asparagaceae |
| Subfamily: | Scilloideae |
| Genus: | Pseudomuscari Garbari & Greuter |
Systematics edit
The genus was formerly included in Muscari. The group of species now placed in Pseudomuscari was separated off as a section within Muscari by A.S. Losina-Losinskaja in a 1935 publication and as a subgenus by D.C. Stuart in 1965, but neither name was validly published, and the genus was first formally named by Fabio Garbari and Werner Greuter in 1970.[3]
Species edit
As of August 2019[update], the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families accepts 7 species:[4]
| Image | Scientific name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|
 |
Pseudomuscari azureum (Fenzl) Garbari & Greuter | Turkey |
 |
Pseudomuscari chalusicum (D.C.Stuart) Garbari | N. Iran |
| Pseudomuscari coeleste (Fomin) Garbari | E. Turkey | |
| Pseudomuscari coeruleum (Losinsk.) Garbari | Caucasus | |
| Pseudomuscari forniculatum (Fomin) Garbari | NE. Turkey | |
 |
Pseudomuscari inconstrictum (Rech.f.) Garbari | E. Medit. to NW. Iran |
 |
Pseudomuscari pallens (M.Bieb.) Garbari | E. Caucasus |
References edit
- ^ Stevens, P.F. (2001 onwards), "Asparagales: Scilloideae", Angiosperm Phylogeny Website, retrieved 2014-12-09
- ^ Mathew, Brian (1987), The Smaller Bulbs, London: B.T. Batsford, ISBN 978-0-7134-4922-8, p. 125 (as the Pseudomuscari group)
- ^ Garbari, F. & Greuter, W. (1970), "On the Taxonomy and Typification of Muscari Miller (Liliaceae) and Allied Genera, and on the Typification of Generic Names", Taxon, 19 (3): 329–335, doi:10.2307/1219056, JSTOR 1219056
- ^ "Search for Pseudomuscari", World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, retrieved 2019-07-31