Liliaceae

M. comosum (L.) Miller, Card. Dict. ed. 8, no. 2 p.p. (1768). Syn:Hyacin-thus comosus L., Sp. PL 318(1753)! Bellevalia pinardi Boiss., Diagn. ser. 1(5): 62 (1844)! Leopoldia holzmanni (Heldr.) Heldr. in Bull Soc. Nat. Mosc. 53:65 (1878)! L. curtum Heldr., loc. cit. (1878)! L. sartoriana Heldr., op. cit. 66 (1878)! L. trojam Heldr., op. cit. 68(1878)! L. pharmacusana Heldr.,op.cit. 66 (1878)! Muscari graecum (Heldr.) Boiss., Fl. Or. 5:291 (1882)! M. bulgar-icum Velen., FL Bulg. 557 (1891); M. charrellii Hal & Nadji in Nadji, Emp. Ott. Geogr. Bot. 42 (1892);M. cousturieri Gand., FL Gret. 101 (1916). Ic: Reichb., Ic. FL Germ. 10: t. 457 f. 1001 (1848); Jav. &Csap., Ic. Fl. Hung. t. 86 f. 714 (1929); Rix & Phillips, Bulb Book 75 (1931).
Bulb 1.5-3.5 cm diam., without offsets; tunics pink. Leaves 3-5(-7),erecto-patent, linear, attenuate to apex, 7-40(-60) cm x 5-l7(-30) mm, weakly canaliculate, generally shorter than scape. Scape 15-50(-80) cm, erect. Raceme lax, cylindrical, 40-80 x 3-6 cm, 15-l00-flowered. Pedicels of fertile flowers patent, 5-10(-16) mm, not elongating. Fertile flowers oblong-urceolate, 6-10 x 2-4 mm, pale brown below, shoulders rounded and darker brown; lobes 0.5-1 mm, beige or dirty cream. Pedicels of sterile flowers ascending or rarely nearly horizontal, 6-26{-40) mm, violet. Sterile flowers globose to obovale, rarely tubular, bright violet, 2-6(-10) mm, shorter than fertile flowers, often numerous, forming a conspicuous terminal coma. Fruiting raceme lax, 8-40 x 2.5-4 cm. Capsule broadly ovate-elliptic to suborbicular, subemarginate, 10-15 mm, valves weakly compressed. Seeds 2-3 mm diam. 2n=18. Fl 3-7. Pinus brutia forest, Quercus woodland, near rivers, rocky slopes, common in wheat and fallow fields, s.l.-2000 m.
Described from France & S. Europe (Hb. linn. 438/5!).
Widespread but absent from most of N. Anatolia; Islands. A1(E)Kirkiareli: Istranca Da.,Demirköyto Velikaköy, Kayacık 64! A1(A) Çanakkale: Thymbra, Menderes valley, 9 v 1883, Sint.! A2(E) Istanbul: Belgrad forest, 20 iii 1960, Yait.! A2(A) Istanbul: 15 km S. of Söğütlan, 600 m, Sorger 77-7-5! A3 Sakarya: Adapazari to Geyve, A. Baytop (lSTE 927i)! 81 Izmir: Çeşme, s.l,-40 m, Buttler 79-244! B2 Kütahya: 3.2 km W. of Abide towards Simav, 700 m, Coode&Jones 2610! B3 Afyon:Afyon,CiritKayaş,Yalt.2130! B4Ankara: d. Haymana, 21 km to Moğan G., 900 m, Atay! 35 Nevşehir: Göreme, 1130 m, D. 42208! B7 Sivas: Dumluca Da., T. Baytop (lSTE İ2938)! B8 Siirt: 28 km from Siirt to Baykan, 800 m, D.44193! B9 Van: 20kmE.of Süphan Da., 2000 m, Watson et al. 1402! Cl Aydin: Priene, 50-300 m, D. 40804! C2 Muğla: Marmaris, 50 m, D. 41018! C3 Antalya: Alanya bay, 2 m, D. 25910! C4 lçel: Alanya to Anamur, Kesevli Köy, Attila50! C5 Adana: Pozantı, 1400 m, it. Leyd. 1959:955! C6 Hatay: Daphne (Harbiye) to Şenköy, D. 27208! C7 Urfa: d. Siverek, N. slope of Karaca Da., 1250 m, D. 28295! CS Mardia: 13 km from Savur to Midyat, D. 42480! C9 Siirt: above Şirnak, 1400-1500 m, D. 42549! Is: Tokmakia, Aspronisos, s.L-30 m, Edmondson & McClintock 2527! Khios, gulf of Karfas, Greuter 10686! Ikaria, Ag. Kyrikos to Evdilos, D. 40684! Samos, Marathokampos, Gathorne-Hardy 225! Kos, beyond Pili, Gathorne-Hardy 409! Rodhos, mt. Prof. Elias, Brummitt 6422!
S.W. & C. Europe, Mediterranean area, W. Syria eastwards to Iran and Arabia; absent from Caucasia. Medit. element. The most widespread and variable species in Subgen. Leopoldia.