SCILLA VERNA
Common Names:- Spring squill
Homotypic synonyms:- Oncostema vernum, Petranthe verna, Scilla vernalis,
Stellaris verna, Tractema verna.
Meaning:- Scilla (Gr) Greek name for a squill plant,
Verna (L) from vernum, which means "spring".
General description:- A small, bulbous perennial herb. Native to the Atlantic
coastal regions of western Europe, including the British Isles, typically inhabiting
short maritime turf, rocky slopes, and exposed sea cliffs.
Bulb:-
1) Ovoid,10 to 20 mm, diam. Overwintering underground and storing energy for rapid
early-season growth.
Stems:-
1) Erect, smooth, upright, leafless, 5 to 20 cm high.
Leaves:-
1) Basal, usually, 2 to 7, narrow, 3-20 cm long x 2-5 mm wide. linear, ligulate, often
tightly curled or curved. Deep, vibrant green.
Flowers:-
1) Inflorescence, a short, dense, flat-topped to somewhat conical raceme carrying 2
to 12 flowers. Lilac-blue, vivid sky-blue, violet-blue, or occasionally pinkish/white,
featuring a darker mid-line stripe on the outer surface.
2) Bracts, scarious, 5-15 mm long, bluish subtending each flower.
3) Perianth, star-shaped, composed of 6 distinct petal-like segments (tepals).
4) Tepal, 5 to 8 mm long, ovate.
5) Stamens, 6.
a) filaments, broad, flattened, white.
b) anthers, blue-purple to violet-blue.
6) Ovary, 3-celled, blue, surrounding a single style.
Fruit:-
1) Capsule, 3-valved, 6-chambered, ovoid/globose,splitting open from the top when
mature.
2) Seeds, small, ovoid, black, possessing tiny elaiosome-like appendages.
Toxicity:- Every part of the plant is poisonous, especially the bulb. It contains
cardiac glycosides that disrupt normal heart function and irritate the stomach.
Habitat:- Favouring exposed, drought-prone, and well-drained soils with a high
tolerance for salt spray, primarily in short, close-cropped turf, sea-facing rock
outcrops, and wind-swept maritime heaths along coastal areas.
Distribution:- Atlantic-oceanic distribution in western Europe, stretching from
northern Portugal and Spain through France, Great Britain, Ireland, and Norway up
to the Faroe Islands. In Britain and Ireland, it concentrates heavily along western
and northern coastal regions.
Flowering time:- April to June (sometimes appearing as early as March).
Status:- With an overall conservation status of Least Concern in Great Britain,
Ireland, and Wales, though it is locally classified as scarce in Ireland
Photos by:-