The flowers of the plant have a variety of colors - from white to dark blue. Perianth can be tubular, cylindrical or barrel-shaped. It consists of six fused leaflets, the edges of which are slightly bent. The flowers are collected in an inflorescence brush (2-8 cm in length), located on the top of the plant and have a pleasant aroma. Six stamens, fused with perianth, are arranged in 2 rows. Pestle has a three-cavity ovary, a short thread-like column and a three-bladed stigma. Fruit - a box.
Its name is the bulbous flowers of muscari, care for which is described below, received for a specific aroma of flowers, similar to the smell of musk. They grow in the steppes, mainly on the open slopes of the mountains, on the fringes and alpine meadows. Distributed in the steppe and Mediterranean regions of Europe, North Africa, Asia. The genus includes more than 60 species, about 20 of which grow in the countries of the former USSR.
Most species are decorative, thanks to their bright inflorescences and pleasant smell.
Kinds
The most popular kind in the summer-lands of florists is Muscari Armenian (Latin Muscari armeniacum), or Muskari Colchic (Latin M. colchicum). The plant reaches a height of 13-20 cm. Its leaves are belt-shaped, narrow, forming a rosette rosette. Small flowers are barrel-shaped, very fragrant. They can be white, blue or violet color, collected in the inflorescence brush, sometimes having the appearance of a ball on the top of the peduncle. The flower spike is quite powerful, can reach a length of 20 cm. Muscular flowering is observed in May-June for 20-25 days. In nature, this species grows on the plains of Transcaucasia and in the north-west of Turkey.
Muscaria is grove-shaped (Latin M. botryoides). Inflorescences of this species are barrel-shaped, white teeth and purple hue. Peduncles not as high as Muskari Armenian, about 12 cm high. Two Muscari gardening forms are common: f. album and f. carneum, differing white and pink coloring of flowers, respectively. In nature, the species grows in Southern and Central Europe; prefers meadows and mountain slopes.
Muscular is racemose (Latin M. racemosum). This species is characterized by long narrow leaves, a low peduncle (9-12 cm), flowering duration of 20-30 days. The flowers have a blue-purple or a deep blue color. In nature, this species is common in the Crimea, in the southern regions of European Russia, Western Transcaucasia, the Mediterranean and Central Europe.
Muscari crested (Latin M. comosum). A special kind of muscari with a multi-flowered, loose brush. Flowers have a blue-violet color. In nature, this plant grows in North Africa, South-West Asia and Southern Europe.
Flowers Muscari: care
Lighting. Muscari flowers grow well both in the sun and in the penumbra. They are unpretentious, so it is not difficult to take care of them. Winter-hardy, but do not tolerate low areas, since the plant does not like long stagnation of water. To the soil are undemanding, however, with a good soil composition, large bulbs and sufficiently powerful inflorescences form a top dressing. Muscari prefers organic fertilizers. For example, it is recommended to make compost and humus in the soil during digging in the calculation of 5 kg per 1m2. During flowering, muscari require a lot of moisture, and in the rest period, on the contrary, preference is given to dry air.
Reproduction. These bulbous flowers reproduce by bulb onions. They should be planted at a depth of 7-8 cm and at a distance of 10 cm from each other. The transplant should be carried out only after 5-7 years. In case of reproduction by seeds, they should be sowed immediately after harvesting, otherwise they quickly lose their germination. Seeds are small, black, round, wrinkled. Note that muscari successfully multiply self-sowing. Only in the third year the seedlings will blossom.
Muscari is widely used as an ornamental plant, decorating them with lawns, curbs and alpine hills. Often they are planted in large tracts.
Technology of forcing. For distillation, Muskari Armenian is used, sometimes Muscari is a grove-shaped and broad-leaved. The acceptable bulb size along the circumference is about 6 cm. The planting material is kept at 20-25 ° C, starting from October, the temperature is reduced to 17 ° C. A well-ventilated room should be used. The material must be disinfected before planting. Planting is recommended in wet, but drained soil in the following terms: end of September-November. The acidity of the soil must be neutral. After planting, it is necessary to shed the material well and then keep it in moderate humidity. Temperature regime: 9 0 C for five weeks for rooting, 5 0 C for 11-12 weeks. If it is necessary to postpone the rooting time, then lower the temperature to 1-2 0 C. Muscari blossoms three weeks after the temperature has risen to 13-15 ° C.