Common grape-hyacinth, muscari

Hyacinthus botryoides Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 1: 318. 1753

Plants to 20(–30) cm. Bulbs ovoid, 1.5–2.5 × 1–2 cm, offsets absent, tunics translucent to pale brown. Leaves 2–4(–5); blade prominently ribbed, linear-spatulate, 15–35(–40) cm × 3–8(–12) mm, apex abruptly contracted. Scape 20–35(–40) cm, usually slightly exceeding leaves. Racemes 12–20-flowered. Flowers: perianth tube sky blue, globose to ovoid, 2–4 × 2–3 mm, teeth white; fertile and sterile flowers ± equal (sterile may be slightly smaller and paler); pedicel spreading, 1–3(–5) mm. Capsules 4–6 × 4–6 mm. 2n = 18, 36.

Flowering early--mid spring. Roadsides, fields, woods, abandoned gardens; 0--1500 m; introduced; B.C., Nfld. and Labr. (Nfld.), N.S., Ont.; Ala., Ark., Calif., Conn., Del., D.C., Ill., Ind., Kans., Ky., Md., Mass., Mich., Minn., Miss., Mo., N.H., N.J., N.Y., Ohio, Okla., Oreg., Pa., Tenn., Tex., Utah, Vt., Va., Wash., W.Va.; c, se Europe; expected elsewhere.

Muscari botryoides is the commonest and most cold-hardy of the Muscari species in the flora.