Grape Hyacinth

Description:

Perennial, bulbous plant, with stem up to 3 cm high. The leaves come out of the ground and are thin, linear and the flowers are small bells, usually blue in color (purple) with white toothed fin and appear a lot together at the tip of a stem in inflorescence. Most of the superior flowers are not fertile, while the real flowers are those that end in a white toothed rim and are dark blue in color.

Habitat:

Endemic to Greece, found in olive groves (see pics 4,5), rocky slopes, forest clearings. From low altitudes to mountain meadows (0-1350m). Genus Muscari has more than 45 species in European countries, from the Atlantic and the Mediterranean to Middle East. In Greece about 15-17 species are found.

Notes:

The name of the genus Muscari comes from the Latin word musk, which in turn comes from the Greek word "μόσχος" (moschos=fragrant) and refers to the perfume of flowers. 'Pulchellum' is the latin diminutive of 'pulchrum' which means beautiful.