Scilla

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For the town, see Scilla, Calabria. For the given name, see Priscilla. For the mythological monster, see Scylla.
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Scilla
Siberian Squill (Scilla siberica)
Scientific classification e
Kingdom: Plantae
clade: Angiosperms
clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Asparagaceae
Subfamily: Scilloideae
Genus: Scilla
L.
Species

See text.

Scilla (play /ˈsɪlə/; Squill)[1] is a genus of about 50[2] bulb-forming perennial herbs in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae,[3] native to woodlands, subalpine meadows, and seashores throughout Europe and Asia. Their flowers are usually blue, but white, pink, and purple types are known; most flower in early spring, but a few are autumn-flowering.

Contents

[edit] Taxonomy

Scilla has most recently been classified as belonging to the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae; the subfamily was formerly treated as a separate family, Hyacinthaceae.[4] Prior to that it was placed in the Hyacintheae tribe of the Liliaceae family. Various proposals have split the nearly 50 species of Scilla, particularly the Eurasian species, into a number of smaller genera such as Orthocallis (Speta), eg Orthocallis siberica.

Several African species previously classified in Scilla have been removed to the genus Ledebouria. The best known of these is the common houseplant still sometimes known as Scilla violacea but now properly Ledebouria socialis.

[edit] Species

As of November 2011, the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families accepts 81 species:[5]

[edit] Former species

[edit] Scilla peruviana

Scilla peruviana is of interest for its name; it is a native of southwest Europe, not of Peru. When Carolus Linnaeus described the species in 1753, he was given specimens imported from Spain aboard a ship named Peru, and was misled into thinking the specimens had come from that country. The rules of botanical naming do not allow a scientific name to be changed merely because it is potentially confusing.

[edit] Cultivation and uses

Many species, notably S. siberica, are grown in gardens for their attractive early spring flowers.

Squill liquid extract, a preparation of powdered squill bulbs extracted in ethanol, is an expectorant used in traditional cough medicines such as Gee′s Linctus[6] and Buttercup Syrup.[7]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Sunset Western Garden Book, 1995:606–607
  2. ^ ZipcodeZoo
  3. ^ Stevens, P.F. (2001 onwards), Angiosperm Phylogeny Website: Asparagales: Scilloideae, http://www.mobot.org/mobot/research/apweb/orders/asparagalesweb.htm#Hyacinthaceae 
  4. ^ Chase, M.W.; Reveal, J.L. & Fay, M.F. (2009), "A subfamilial classification for the expanded asparagalean families Amaryllidaceae, Asparagaceae and Xanthorrhoeaceae", Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 161 (2): 132–136, doi:10.1111/j.1095-8339.2009.00999.x 
  5. ^ WCSP (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 2011-11-08 , search for "Scilla"
  6. ^ "Gee′s Linctus BP". Electronic Medicines Compendium. Datapharm Communications Limited. http://emc.medicines.org.uk/medicine/21068/XPIL/Gee%27s+Linctus+BP+%28Boots+Company+plc%29/. Retrieved 2010-01-16. "Each 5 ml of oral liquid contains Opium Tincture 0.084 ml, Squill Vinegar for Oxymel 0.5 ml." 
  7. ^ Buttercup Syrup, (Chefaro UK Ltd.; William Ransom & Son): Squill Liquid Extract 0.0031ml.

[edit] External links

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