Hyacinthoides non-scripta

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Hyacinthoides non-scripta
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Asparagaceae
Subfamily: Scilloideae
Genus: Hyacinthoides
Species:
H. non-scripta
Binomial name
Hyacinthoides non-scripta
(
Rothm.
Synonyms [1]
  • Hyacinthus non-scriptus L.
  • Scilla festalis Salisb. (nom. illeg.)
  • Scilla nutans Sm. in Sowerby & Smith (nom. illeg.)
  • Scilla non-scripta (L.) Link & Hoffmanns.
  • Endymion nutans Dumort. (nom. illeg.)
  • Agraphis nutans Link. (nom. illeg.)
  • Endymion non-scriptus (L.) Garcke
  • Hyacinthus cernuus L.
  • Scilla cernua (L.) Hoffmanns. & Link
  • Endymion cernuus (L.) Dumort.

Hyacinthoides non-scripta

garden plant. It is known in English as the common bluebell or simply bluebell, a name which is used in Scotland to refer to the harebell, Campanula rotundifolia. In spring, H. non-scripta produces a nodding, one-sided inflorescence of 5–12 tubular, sweet-scented violet–blue flowers, with strongly recurved tepals
, and 3–6 long, linear, basal leaves.

H. non-scripta is particularly associated with ancient woodland where it may dominate the understorey to produce carpets of violet–blue flowers in "bluebell woods", but also occurs in more open habitats in western regions. It is protected under UK law, and in some other parts of its range. A related species, H. hispanica has also been introduced to Britain and Ireland and hybridises with H. non-scripta to produce intermediates known as H. × massartiana.

Taxonomy

Hyacinthoides non-scripta was

specific epithet non-scripta means "unlettered" or "unmarked" and was intended to distinguish this plant from the classical hyacinth of Greek mythology. This mythical flower, which was almost certainly not the modern hyacinth,[3] sprang up from the blood of the dying prince Hyacinthus. His lover, the god Apollo, shed tears that marked the new flower's petals with the letters "AIAI" ("alas") as a sign of his grief.[4]

In 1803,

Johann Centurius von Hoffmannsegg and Johann Heinrich Friedrich Link transferred the species to the genus Scilla, and in 1849 Christian August Friedrich Garcke transferred it to the genus Endymion (now a synonym of Hyacinthoides); it is still widely known as "Scilla non-scripta" or "Endymion non-scriptus".[5] In 1934, Pierre Chouard transferred the species to its current placement in the genus Hyacinthoides.[6] Scilla was the original Greek name for the sea squill, Drimia maritima; Endymion is a character from Greek mythology; Hyacinthoides means "like a hyacinth".[7]

The type species of Hyacinthoides is H. hispanica, while that of Endymion is "Scilla nutans", described by James Edward Smith in English Botany in 1797, but now treated as a synonym of H. non-scripta.[1] Smith had argued that nutans ("nodding") is a more fitting epithet than non-scriptus, which makes no sense once separated from Hyacinthus, but the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants requires the oldest name to be used, regardless of meaning.[1]

Common names for Hyacinthoides non-scripta include bluebell,[8] common bluebell, English bluebell, British bluebell,[9] wild hyacinth, wood bell, fairy flower and bell bottle.[10] In Scotland, the term "bluebell" is used for the harebell, Campanula rotundifolia.[4]

Related species

Hyacinthoides non-scripta forms a

Duero river.[1] The genus also contains seven further species, mostly distributed further east in the Mediterranean Basin.[1]

Description

Comparison of H. non-scripta and H. hispanica
H. non-scripta has dark flowers in one-sided, nodding racemes, with strongly recurved petals and white pollen.
H. hispanica has paler flowers produced on all sides of the upright stem, less recurved petals and blue pollen.

Hyacinthoides non-scripta is a

perennial plant that grows from a bulb.[8] It produces 3–6 linear leaves, all growing from the base of the plant, and each 7–16 millimetres (0.28–0.63 in) wide.[11] An inflorescence of 5–12 (exceptionally 3–32) flowers is borne on a stem up to 500 mm (20 in) tall, which droops towards the tip;[2] the flowers are arranged in a 1-sided nodding raceme.[8] Each flower is 14–20 mm (0.55–0.79 in) long, with two bracts at the base, and the six tepals are strongly recurved at their tips.[8] The tepals are violet–blue.[12] The three stamens in the outer whorl are fused to the perianth for more than 75% of their length, and bear cream-coloured pollen.[8] The flowers are strongly and sweetly scented.[8] The seeds are black, and germinate on the soil surface.[13]

The bulbs produce contractile roots; when these roots contract, they draw the bulbs down into deeper layers of the soil where there is greater moisture, reaching depths of 10–12 cm (3.9–4.7 in).[13] This may explain the absence of H. non-scripta from some thin soils over chalk in South East England, since the bulbs are unable to penetrate into sufficiently deep soils.[13]

H. non-scripta differs from H. hispanica, which occurs as an introduced species in Britain and Ireland, in a number of ways. H. hispanica has paler flowers which are borne in radially symmetrical racemes; their tepals are less recurved, and are only faintly scented.[8] The outer stamens are fused with the tepals for less than 75% of their length, and the anthers are the same colour as the tepals.[8] These two species are thought to have diverged 8000 years ago.[1] The two species hybridise readily to produce fertile offspring known as Hyacinthoides × massartiana; the hybrids are intermediate between the parental species, forming a spectrum of variation which connects the two.[8]

Distribution and ecology

Bluebell habitats
Bluebells in Pryor's Wood, Hertfordshire
In the west of its range, H. non-scripta lives in open habitats, here on Ulva in the Hebrides, Scotland

Hyacinthoides non-scripta is native to the western parts of Atlantic Europe, from north-western

the Virginias, Kentucky and Indiana)[15] it has been introduced as well to New Zealand
.

Despite the wide distribution of H. non-scripta, it reaches its greatest densities in Britain and Ireland,[9] where "bluebell woods" (woodland with the understory dominated by H. non-scripta in spring) are a familiar sight. H. non-scripta is found throughout Britain and Ireland, with the exception of the northern Outer Hebrides (Lewis and Harris), Orkney and Shetland,[8] and it is estimated that 25%–50% of all common bluebells may be found in Britain and Ireland.[16]

Bluebells are a species of deciduous woodland over much of their range, flowering and leafing early before the canopy closes in late spring. They may also be found growing under

indicator species to identify ancient woodland.[20] Bluebells are also frequently found in hedgerows, and in the west of their range they can be found growing in open habitats, including coastal meadows.[21] Bluebell flowers are rich in pollen and nectar, and are chiefly pollinated by bumblebees, although they are also visited by various other insects.[22] They are a host species for the parasitic fungus Uromyces muscari, which causes bluebell rust.[23] The ability of H. non-scripta to take up phosphorus from the soil is greatly enhanced by the presence of arbuscular mycorrhizae in its roots.[24]

Protection

Hyacinthoides non-scripta is not protected under international law, such as CITES or the EU Habitats Directive.[25]

In the United Kingdom, H. non-scripta is a protected species under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Landowners are prohibited from removing common bluebells on their land for sale and it is a criminal offence to remove the bulbs of wild common bluebells.[26] This legislation was strengthened in 1998 under Schedule 8 of the Act making any trade in wild common bluebell bulbs or seeds an offence, punishable by fines of up to £5,000 per bulb.[10][27] The species is not protected in the Republic of Ireland.[28]

In France, H. non-scripta is largely confined to the northern half of the country.[29] It is not legally protected at the national level, but it is protected in many of the départements towards the edge of its range (Corrèze, Loiret, Gironde, Lot-et-Garonne, Dordogne, Cher, Eure-et-Loir, Indre-et-Loire and Loir-et-Cher).[29] In Wallonia, H. non-scripta is protected under Annexe VII of the Loi sur la conservation de la nature.[30]

Uses

Opened seed pod with seeds inside

Bluebells are widely planted as

hyacinths, Narcissus and some tulips.[31] They produce seed and reproduce vegetatively using bulb offsets, so can spread rapidly, and may need to be controlled as weeds.[32]

In common with other members of their genus, bluebells - particularly their bulbs - are normally considered to be toxic. Bluebells synthesise a wide range of chemicals with potential medicinal properties: they contain at least 15 biologically active compounds that may provide them with protection against insects and animals. Certain extracts – water-soluble

styptic,[35] while the sap can be used as an adhesive.[31][35]

The bluebell may be regarded as the United Kingdom's "favourite flower". When the wild plant charity Plantlife organised a survey in 2004 to find a favourite flower for each county in the United Kingdom, it decided to ban voters from choosing the bluebell because it had been by far the top choice in an earlier poll for the nation's favourite flower.[36] A stylised bluebell is used as the logo for the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland.[37]

In culture

playground song and dance. [38]

References

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  9. ^ a b Fred Rumsey. "Hyacinthoides non-scripta (British bluebell) > Distribution and ecology". Species of the day. Natural History Museum. Archived from the original on February 21, 2012. Retrieved March 25, 2012.
  10. ^ a b Steve Davis; Anna Trias-Blasi. "Hyacinthoides non-scripta (bluebell)". Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Archived from the original on March 23, 2012. Retrieved March 25, 2012.
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  14. Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh
    . Retrieved March 28, 2012.
  15. ^ "Hyacinthoides non-scripta (L.) Chouard ex Rothm., English bluebell". PLANTS Profile. United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved March 30, 2012.
  16. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2008.09.030. Archived from the original
    (PDF) on 2020-01-14. Retrieved 2012-03-24.
  17. ^ "Bluebells". Sheffield Wildlife Trust. Archived from the original on July 24, 2011. Retrieved March 28, 2012.
  18. ^ "Woodland plants". Field Studies Council. 2009. Archived from the original on June 26, 2018. Retrieved April 22, 2012.
  19. ISBN 978-0-412-43950-6
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  20. Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original
    on May 14, 2009. Retrieved March 27, 2012.
  21. ^ "Bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta)". Species Action Plans. Cheshire Regional Biodiversity Partnership. Archived from the original on April 8, 2012. Retrieved March 28, 2012.
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  25. ^ "Bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta species action plan" (PDF). Caerphilly County Borough Council. Retrieved March 29, 2012.
  26. ^ "Bluebells at Croxteth". Liverpool City Council. April 2007. Archived from the original on 2012-08-05. Retrieved April 1, 2012.
  27. ^ "Men fined for bluebell bulbs sale". BBC News. August 24, 2007. Retrieved July 14, 2012.
  28. Botanical Society of the British Isles. Archived from the original
    on January 15, 2019. Retrieved March 28, 2012.
  29. ^
    Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle
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  30. ^ "Hyacinthoides non-scripta (L.) Chouard ex Rothm., jacinthe des bois". La biodiversité en Wallonie (in French). Retrieved April 6, 2012.
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  32. ^ "Bluebells as weeds". Royal Horticultural Society. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
  33. ^ "Bluebells could help fight cancer". BBC News. January 15, 1998. Retrieved March 24, 2012.
  34. ISBN 978-0-19-914195-1
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  35. ^ a b "Hyacinthoides nonscripta - (L.) Chouard. ex Rothm". Plants for a Future. Retrieved March 27, 2012.
  36. ^ Paul Brown (5 May 2004). "Fans pick the flowers that have grown on them". The Guardian.
  37. Botanical Society of the British Isles
    : 5–6.
  38. ^ "Dusting Bluebells". The British Library. Retrieved 2021-04-28.

External links

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