HYACINTHOIDES NON-SCRIPTA
Common Names:- English bluebell
Homotypic synonyms:- Endymion non-scriptus, Hyacinthus non-scriptus,
Hylomenes non-scripta, Scilla festalis, Scilla non-script, Usteria non-scripta.
Meaning:- Hyacinthoides (Gr) "like a hyacinth" (Hyacinthus + the Greek suffix -
oides, meaning "similar to").
Non-scripta (L) "non" meaning not, and scripta meaning written.
Explaination:- A young prince named Hyacinthus was loved by the god Apollo.
When the prince died tragically, Apollo's tears fell upon the flowers that grew from
his blood.The god's grief marked the petals with the sorrowful Greek exclamation "AI
AI" (meaning "alas").
General description:- A bulbous, perennial spring herb, featuring a nodding, one-
sided inflorescence of tubular, sweet-scented violet-blue flowers with strongly
recurved tips.
Bulb:-
1) Small, rounded, storing energy as fructans to drive fast early-spring growth.
Stems:-
1) 20 to 50 cm tall, erect, smooth, drooping or arched dramatically at the tip.
Leaves:-
1) Basal, 3 to 6 per bulb, up to 45 cm x 7-25 mm wide. linear, narrow, ligulate with
acute tips, smooth, glabrous, bright green.
Flowers:-
1) A one-sided (secund) terminal raceme, holding 5 to 20 pendent flowers.
2) Corolla, deep violet-blue (rarely white or pink), tubular to narrowly campanulate.
3) Tepals, six, conjoined, with distinctively strong, recurved tips.
4) Anthers, creamy-white or pure white pollen-bearing.
5) Pollen, creamy-white.
6) Scent, strong and sweet.
Fruit:-
1) Capsule, globular, or oval three-celled, green at first, turning dry, papery, and
brown as it matures,
2) Seeds, small, shiny, black, round.
Key features:-
1) Anthers, creamy-white or pure white pollen-bearing (distinguishing it from the
blue-anthered Hyacinthoides hispanica).
Toxicity:- All parts of the English bluebell plant, including the fruit and seeds, are
toxic and can cause severe stomach upset if eaten.
Habitat:- Humus-rich, slightly acidic, and moist soils layered with natural leaf litter
in ancient deciduous woodlands, shady hedgerows, and scrub-covered coastal cliffs
and broadleaf forests with high tree coverage that provide deep summer shade.
Distribution:- Native to western Europe, stretching from north-western Spain and
Portugal up through France, the UK, and Ireland. An estimated 25% to 50% of the
entire global population lives in the British Isles, where it is widespread and
common.
Flowering time:- From mid-April to late May
Status:- Classified on the GB Red List as Least Concern and remains widespread
and common across the British Isles, though it faces localized pressures from
hybridization and habitat loss.
Photos by:- Saxifraga - Free nature images