Chionodoxa forbesii

Chionodoxa forbesii
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Order:	Asparagales
Family:	Asparagaceae
Subfamily:	Scilloideae
Genus:	Chionodoxa
Species:	C. forbesii
Binomial name
Chionodoxa forbesii Baker

Chionodoxa forbesii or Forbes' glory-of-the-snow is a bulbous perennial from south-west Turkey flowering in early spring. After flowering, it goes into dormancy until the next spring.

Like all members of the genus Chionodoxa, the bases of the stamens are flattened and closely clustered in the middle of the flower. In the related genus Scilla, the stamens are not flattened or clustered together.^[1] The differences are not considered by some botanists as sufficient to create a separate genus, so they include this species in Scilla.^[2]

C. forbesii resembles C. siehei, which is regarded as part of the same species by some botanists. For those who differentiate the two taxa, C. forbesii differs by having fewer, smaller upward-facing flowers, which are a deep blue, rather than violet-blue.^[3]

Notes and references

1. Mathew 1987, p. 25
2. Dashwood & Mathew 2005, p. 5
3. Dashwood & Mathew 2005, p. 5

Bibliography

• Dashwood, Melanie & Mathew, Brian (2005), Hyacinthaceae – little blue bulbs (RHS Plant Trials and Awards, Bulletin Number 11), Royal Horticultural Society, archived from the original on 28 August 2015, retrieved 28 August 2015
• Mathew, Brian (1987), The Smaller Bulbs, London: B T Batsford, ISBN 978-0-7134-4922-8
• Mathew, Brian (2005), "Hardy Hyacinthaceae, Part 2: Scilla, Chionodoxa, xChionoscilla", The Plantsman (New Series), 4 (2): 110–21