Chionodoxa siehei

''Scilla forbesii'', known as Forbes' glory-of-the-snow, is a bulbous perennial plant from west Turkey flowering in early spring. It is considered synonymous with ''Scilla siehei'', known as Siehe's glory-of-the-snow, by some sources, although others distinguish them. It belongs to a group of ''Scilla'' species that were formerly put in a separate genus, ''Chionodoxa'', and may now be treated as ''Scilla'' sect. ''Chionodoxa''. After flowering, it goes into dormancy until the next spring. It seeds readily to form colonies.

Description

Like all members of the former genus ''Chionodoxa'', the bases of the stamens are flattened and closely clustered in the middle of the flower. In other species of ''Scilla'', the stamens are not flattened or clustered together.

Each bulb produces two leaves, up to 12 cm long and 2 cm wide, and at most one flowering stem, up to 10.5 cm long. The flowers are produced in a broadly pyramidal raceme, with up to 12 flowers per stem. The lower ones face outwards, the upper ones face upward. Each flower is up to 3 cm across, with individual tepals 1.3 cm long. The base of each tepal is white (as are the stamen filaments), producing a white 'eye'. The outer part of the tepals is deep blue to violet-blue.

For those who differentiate ''S. siehei'' from ''S. forbesii'', ''S. forbesii'' differs by having fewer, smaller upward-facing flowers, which are a deep blue, rather than violet-blue.

File:Scilla forbesii 1.jpg
File:Scilla forbesii - 52024312748.jpg
File:Scilla forbesii - 52024990955.jpg

Distribution

''Scilla forbesii'', taken to include ''S. siehei'', is native to western and southern Turkey. Yildirim et al., who distinguish between ''S. forbesii'' and ''S. siehei'', give the two slightly different distributions within Turkey. ''S. forbesii'' is said to occur only on Babadağ Mountain in Muğla Province, whereas ''S. siehei'' is found only on Nif Mountain in İzmir Province.

Cultivation

''Scilla forbesii'' is the commonest species grown in gardens, where it is often wrongly called '' S. luciliae''.

''Scilla forbesii'' can be bought as dry bulbs (often under the alternative names ''Scilla luciliae'', ''Chionodoxa luciliae'', ''Scilla siehei'' or ''Chionodoxa siehei'') and planted while dormant in late summer or early autumn at a depth of 8–10 cm. It requires light when in growth, but can be grown under deciduous trees or shrubs, as the foliage dies down after flowering. It will flower in early to mid Spring. The common blue form seeds freely in many gardens, creating large colonies.

''Scilla siehei'', then regarded as a separate species, was awarded the RHS Award of Garden Merit in 1993, which was reconfirmed in 2005.< The variety ''alba'' has white flowers, and the cultivar 'Pink Giant' has pink flowers with white centres.

File:ChionodoxaSiehei Garden.jpg, Self-sown carpet under a deciduous shrub, flowering in early April in the West Midlands, England
File:Chionodoxa 'Pink Giant' Y01.jpg, 'Pink Giant'

Notes and references

Bibliography

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{{Taxonbar, from1=Q15504060, from2=Q5101438

forbesii
Ephemeral plants
Taxa named by John Gilbert Baker
Taxa named by Franz Speta