Leucojum trichophyllum var. broteri

• Interesting Facts
• Description
• Taxonomy
• Similar Species
• More Info
• Further Reading
• Notes

Interesting Facts

Description

Family Amaryllidaceae

Herbs perennial , rarely shrubby or treelike, often with bulbs, corms, rhizomes, or tubers. Leaves basal or cauline, often narrow, margin entire or spiny . Inflorescence a terminal spike, umbel, raceme , panicle, or flowers solitary. Flowers bisexual , actinomorphic or zygomorphic, usually subtended by 1 to several spathaceous involucres. Perianth segments 6, in 2 whorls, free or connate to form a short tube , with or without a corona . Stamens 6, inserted at perianth throat or at base of segments; filaments sometimes basally connate; anther dorsifixed or basifixed , mostly introrse . Ovary inferior, 3-loculed; ovules few to many per locule; placentation axile . Style slender; stigma capitate or 3-lobed. Fruit a capsule, usually loculicidal, sometimes dehiscing irregularly, rarely a berry. Seeds with endosperm.

More than 100 genera and 1200 species: tropical , subtropical , and temperate regions worldwide; ten genera and 34 species (14 endemic, four introduced ) in China.[1]

Genus Leucojum

Herbs, perennial , scapose , from brown, globose to ovoid , tunicate bulb. Leaves several; blade linear-ligulate, base sheathing . Scape stout, hollow [slender, solid]. Inflorescences umbellate , 2-5(-7) -flowered, spathaceous ; spathe bracts 2, free or entirely adnate on 1 side, appearing monophyllous . Flowers nodding ; perianth campanulate ; tepals 6, distinct , oblanceolate to ovate , equal; stamens 6, distinct; anthers basifixed , conic, longer than filaments , blunt apically, dehiscing by terminal pores ; ovary inferior, green, 3-locular, globose, septal nectaries present; style filiform or clavate , exceeding anthers; stigma minutely capitate. Fruits capsular , erect , pyriform to subglobose, dehiscence loculicidal; pericarp somewhat fleshy . Seeds numerous , black, appendages absent. x = 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12.

Species ca. 10: introduced ; c, sw Europe, nw Africa, and sw Asia (Armenia, Crimea) ; introduced elsewhere.

Several species of Leucojum are cultivated for their flowers. Although other species such as L. autumnale Linnaeus (autumn snowflake) and L. vernum Linnaeus (spring snowflake) may persist in old gardens, only the commonly cultivated L. aestivum (summer snowflake) is known definitely to be naturalized in the flora . There are unconfirmed reports that L. vernum is naturalized in the panhandle area of Florida.

Leucojum is sometimes confused with Galanthus, a spring-flowering, Eurasian relative, but it differs in that Leucojum has perianth segments that are all equal in size, and hollow stems that are usually taller and bear 2-5 flowers. In the southern states, the common name snowdrop, which usually refers to Galanthus species, is applied to Leucojum.

Leaves and bulbs of Leucojum contain the alkaloids lycorine and galanthamine, and are poisonous.[2]

Taxonomy

Notes

Basionym : Amaryllidaceae Acis broteroi Jord. & Fourr.

Basionym author: (Jordan & Fourr.)

Similar Species

Members of the genus Leucojum

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 14 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus:

L. aestivum (Dewdrop) · L. aestivum aestivum (Summer Snowflake) · L. aestivum pulchellum (Summer Snowflake) · L. aestivum 'Gravetye Giant' (Dewdrop) · L. aestivum subsp. pulchellum (Summer Snowflake) · L. autumnale (Autumn Snowflake) · L. autumnale 'Cobb's Variety' (Autumn Snowflake) · L. capitulatum (Palm-Grass) · L. nicaeense (Mentone) · L. pulchellum (Summer Snowflake) · L. roseum (Snowflake) · L. vernum (Spring Snowflake) · L. vernum var. carpathicum (Spring Snowflake) · L. vernum var. vagneri (Spring Snowflake)

More Info

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Further Reading

• Qian Xiao-hu, Chen Sing-chi, Hsu Yin, Hu Zhi-bi, Huang Xiu-lan & Fan Quan-jin. 1985. Amaryllidaceae. In: Pei Chien & Ting Chih-tsun, eds., Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 16(1): 1--42.
• Crespo, M. B. M., D. Lledo, M. F. Fay, and M. W. Chase. 1996. Molecular phylogeny of Leucojum based on ITS sequences. [Abstract.] Amer. J. Bot. 83(6, suppl.): 149.
• Stern, F. C. 1956. Snowdrops and Snowflakes”A Study of the Genera Galanthus and Leucojum. London.

Notes

Contributors

• Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-present. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Zwaag, The Netherlands. Accessed January 12, 2012.

Identifiers

• Globally Unique Identifier: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:953094-1
• Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 1133962

Footnotes

1. Zhanhe Ji & Alan W. Meerow "Amaryllidaceae". in Flora of China Vol. 24 Page 264. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
2. Gerald B. Straley  & Frederick H. Utech "Leucojum". in Flora of North America Vol. 26 Page 55, 280, 293. Oxford University Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]

©2004-2012 David Stang. All rights reserved.