Scilla species changes

Mary Sue Ittner msittner@mcn.org
Fri, 12 Jun 2009 14:45:31 PDT
Hi,

In 2003 we had an interesting topic of the week discussion on Scilla led by 
Jerry Flintoff. Julian Slade kindly told us about a proposal to split this 
genus into many smaller ones at the same time:
http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbslist/old.php/…

Since this seemed controversial we did not change our wiki  Scilla page, 
but just explained which species they were proposing to move and to which 
genera. Later we changed some of the African ones that seemed to be accepted.
Scilla natalensis became Merwilla plumbea and Scilla dracomontana, Merwilla 
dracomontana and Scilla nervosa  Schizocarphus nervosus.

I'm wondering if any of the other proposed changes have taken. In looking 
at the Kew checklist it seems that most of them are still listed as Scilla, 
but not all.

 From Julian's post:
Fessia: such as F. greilhuberi, F. hohenackeri. Similar to Othocallis but 
with very different seeds: always glossy black, lacking any appendages.
Anthers rather large. Tepals persistent.

These two species are listed on the monocot check list  under Fessia not 
Scilla as is Fessia puschkinioides.

Barnardia japonica has become the name of choice for  the plant some of us 
know as Scilla scilloides or Scilla chinensis (but they also list 39 other 
taxa as synonyms.)

Scilla hughii is included in Scilla peruviana by Kew.

Scilla lingulata, one of my favorite fall bloomers is listed as 
Hyacinthoides lingulata without subspecies. While I'm on Hyacinthoides, 
Hyacinthoides mauritanica subsp. vincentina is listed as the accepted name 
for Hyacinthoides vincentina.

I'm wondering about the "accepted names". Have Fessia and Barnardia become 
the accepted genera by those who grow them? And how about Scilla lingulata? 
Should it now be listed as Hyacinthoides lingulata?

Thanks for help with this.

Mary Sue


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