Hyacinth (plant)
| Hyacinth | |
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| Hyacinthus orientalis | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| clade: | Angiosperms |
| clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Asparagaceae |
| Subfamily: | Scilloideae |
| Genus: | Hyacinthus L. |
| species | |
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Hyacinthus litwinowii |
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Hyacinthus is a small genus of bulbous flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae.[1] Plants are commonly called hyacinths (pronounced /ˈhaɪəsɪnθs/). The genus was formerly the type genus of the separate family Hyacinthaceae; prior to that it was placed in the lily family Liliaceae.[2]. Hyacinthus is native to the eastern Mediterranean (from south Turkey to northern Israel), north-east Iran, and Turkmenistan.[3]
Three species are within the genus Hyacinthus:
- Hyacinthus litwinowii
- Hyacinthus orientalis - Common, Dutch or Garden Hyacinth
- Hyacinthus transcaspicus
Some authorities place H. litwonowii and H. transcaspicus in the related genus Hyacinthella, which would make Hyacinthus a monotypic genus.
The Dutch, or Common Hyacinth of house and garden culture (H. orientalis, native to southwest Asia) was so popular in the 18th century that over 2,000 cultivars were cultivated in the Netherlands, its chief commercial producer. This hyacinth has a single dense spike of fragrant flowers in shades of red, blue, white, orange, pink, violet, or yellow. A form of the common hyacinth is the less hardy and smaller blue- or white-petalled Roman hyacinth of florists. These flowers should have indirect sunlight and are to be moderately watered.
Several types of brodiea, deathcamas, squill, and other plants that were formerly classified in the lily family and have flower clusters borne along the stalk also have common names with hyacinth in them. Hyacinths should also not be confused with the genus Muscari, which are commonly known as grape hyacinths.
Hyacinths are sometimes associated with rebirth. The Hyacinth flower is used in the Haftseen table setting for the Persian New Year celebration Norouz held during the Spring Equinox.
Hyacinth bulbs are poisonous; they contain oxalic acid.[4] Handling hyacinth bulbs can cause mild irritation to people with sensitive skin. Protective gloves may be worn to avoid irritation.
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[edit] Myth associated with Hyacinth
Hyacinth was a beautiful youth loved by both the god Apollo and the West Wind, Zephyr. Apollo and Hyacinth took turns at throwing the discus. Hyacinth ran to catch it to impress Apollo, but he was struck by the discus as it fell to the ground, and died.[5] A twist in the tale makes the wind god Zephyrus responsible for the death of Hyacinth.[6] The youth's beauty caused a feud between Zephyrus and Apollo. Jealous that Hyacinth preferred the radiant archery god Apollo, Zephyrus blew Apollo's discus off course, so as to injure and kill Hyacinth. Apollo did not allow Hades to claim Hyacinth. Instead, Apollo made a flower, the hyacinth, from Hyacinth's spilled blood.
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White Hyacinth in Turkey
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Purple Hyacinth in Turkey
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Hyacinths in Floriade, Canberra
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Hyacinths in Floriade, Canberra
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White and purple hyacinths in Detroit, Michigan
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Hyacinthus orientalis |
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Stevens, P.F. (2001 onwards), Angiosperm Phylogeny Website: Asparagales: Scilloideae, http://www.mobot.org/mobot/research/apweb/orders/asparagalesweb.htm#Hyacinthaceae
- ^ Hyacinthaceae. Tolweb.org, retrieved March 20, 2011
- ^ World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/home.do, retrieved 2011-10-07, search for "Hyacinthus" and its species
- ^ Home Forcing of Hyacinths. North Carolina State University Horticulture Information Leaflets
- ^ pseudo-Apollodorus, i. 3.3.
- ^ Lucian,Dialogues of the Gods; Servius, commentary on Virgil Eclogue iii. 63; Philostratus, Imagines i.24; Ovid Metamorphoses x. 184.
