This delightfully fragile looking plant is actually quite common in the Mediterranean countries in grassy countryside places and in countries where it has been introduced can be almost invasive. The flowering stem comprises sterile "tassel" like florets at the top, presumably to attract pollinators, with duller greenish/brownish true florets further down the pedicel (flower stalk). Muscari comes from the fact that it has a musky fragrance.

Taxonomy: Currently there seems to be no agreement about the systematic name of this plant. Stace (2010) gives it as Muscari comosum in A New Flora of the British Isles Edition 3 in which many names were reconsidered and altered but not this one. Tela Botanica agrees with Stace but World Checklist and The Plant List both use Leopoldia comosa.

Muscari comosa is very occasionally found in the British Isles but never established for long.

Muscari comosum Tassel Hyacinth Near Los gallardos, Spain 19th March 2007 Previous   Next

Muscari comosum Tassel Hyacinth

LHS: Near Ronda, Andalucia Spain 30th March 2008 RHS: Ta Cenc plateau, Gozo 25th March 2005

Added on February 14th 2006, updated 4th January 2011