Biology:Bellevalia

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Short description: Genus of flowering plants

Bellevalia
Bellevalia nivalis kz4.jpg
Bellevalia nivalis
Scientific classification e
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Asparagaceae
Subfamily: Scilloideae
Genus: Bellevalia
Lapeyr. 1808, conserved name, not Scop. 1777 (Verbenaceae) nor Delile Endl. 1836 (Potamogetonaceae)[1]
Synonyms[2]
  • Strangweja Bertol.
  • Borboya Raf.
  • Foxia Parl.
  • Amphibolis Schott & Kotschy in C.G.T.Kotschy. 1858, illegitimate homonym, not C. Agardh 1822
  • Busbequia Salisb.
  • Rytidolobus Dulac

Bellevalia is a genus of plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae.[3] It was first described as a genus in 1808.[4][5]

Wild Bellevalia in Behbahan, Iran
Wild Bellevalia in Behbahan

The approximately 65 species are found from the Mediterranean: Turkey (about 12 species) and Israel (12 species), to central Asia: Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan (two species).

Description

Bellevalia species are perennial herbaceous plants. As geophytes, they form bulbs with a membranous sheath ("tunic"). The simple, parallel-veined leaves are basal. Grape-like inflorescences grow terminally on smooth cylindrical flower stems. The numerous flowers are located in the axils of small, membranous bracts. The hermaphroditic flowers are triple. The six identically shaped bracts are one-third to one-half their length and deformed tubular, bell-shaped or funnel-shaped in form. The color of the bracts ranges from white to cream to brown or more rarely from blue to purple. The fruit capsule is triangular in cross section with winged edges. The seeds are more or less spherical, rarely elongated and glossy.

Taxonomy

Wild Bellevalia in Behbahan II
Wild Bellevalia in Behbahan

The genus Bellevalia was first described in 1808 by Philippe-Isidore Picot de Lapeyrouse.[6] The genus name honors the French botanist Pierre Richer de Belleval (1564-1632).[7] A synonym for Bellevalia is Strangweja Bertol. The homonym genus Bellevalia Roem. & Schult. is a synonym of the genus Richeria Vahl from the family Phyllanthaceae.

Some species formerly belonged to the genus Hyacinthus. The genus Bellevalia is placed in the tribe Hyacintheae in the subfamily Scilloideae within the family Asparagaceae.

Species

According to the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families,[2] there are 65 Bellevalia species:


Species formerly included[2]

moved to Alrawia Althenia Hyacinthella Leopoldia Muscari Pseudomuscari


References

Bibliography

External links

Wikidata ☰ Q148948 entry