Scilla

Scilla (/ˈsɪlə/) is a genus of about 50 to 80 species of bulb-forming perennial herbaceous plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae. Sometimes called the squills in English, they are native to woodlands, subalpine meadows, and seashores throughout Europe, Africa and the Middle East. A few species are also naturalized in Australia, New Zealand and North America.Their flowers are usually blue, but white, pink, and purple types are known; most flower in early spring, but a few are autumn-flowering. Several Scilla species are valued as ornamental garden plants.

Systematics

Scilla has most recently been classified as belonging to the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae; that subfamily was formerly treated as a separate family, Hyacinthaceae. Prior to that it was placed in the tribe Hyacintheae of the family Liliaceae.

The precise number of Scilla species in the genus depends on which proposals to split the genus are accepted. Other proposals separate particularly the Eurasian species into a number of smaller genera such as Othocallis Salisb., e.g. Scilla siberica would become Othocallis siberica.

The common bluebell of British and European bluebell woods, still occasionally referred to by a former name, Scilla non-scripta, is now known as Hyacinthoides non-scripta. Several African species previously classified in Scilla have been removed to the genus Ledebouria. The best known of these is the common houseplant still sometimes known as Scilla violacea but now properly Ledebouria socialis.

Species

As of March 2020, Plants of the World Online accepted the following species:

Scilla achtenii De Wild.

Scilla africana Borzí & Mattei

Scilla albanica Turrill

Scilla albinerve Yildirim & Gemici

Scilla alinihatiana Aslan & Yildirim

Scilla amoena L. – star squill, star hyacinth

Scilla andria Speta

Scilla antunesii Engl.

Scilla arenaria Baker

Scilla arsusiana Yildirim & Gemici

Scilla begoniifolia A.Chev.

Scilla benguellensis Baker

Scilla berthelotii Webb & Berthel.

Scilla bifolia L. – alpine squill

Scilla bilgineri Yildirim

Scilla bithynica Boiss. – Bithynian squill

Scilla buekkensis Speta

Scilla bussei Dammer

Scilla chlorantha Baker

Scilla ciliata Baker

Scilla cilicica Siehe

Scilla congesta Baker

Scilla cretica (Boiss. & Heldr.) Speta, syn. Chionodoxa cretica

Scilla cydonia Speta

Scilla dimartinoi Brullo & Pavone

Scilla dualaensis Poelln.

Scilla engleri T.Durand & Schinz

Scilla flaccidula Baker

Scilla forbesii (Baker) Speta, syn. Chionodoxa forbesii

Scilla gabunensis Baker

Scilla gracillima Engl.

Scilla haemorrhoidalis Webb & Berthel.

Scilla hildebrandtii Baker

Scilla huanica Poelln.

Scilla hyacinthoides L.

Scilla ingridiae Speta

Scilla jaegeri K.Krause

Scilla katendensis De Wild.

Scilla kladnii Schur

Scilla kurdistanica Speta

Scilla lakusicii Šilic

Scilla latifolia Willd. ex Schult.f.

Scilla laxiflora Baker

Scilla ledienii Engl.

Scilla leepii Speta

Scilla libanotica Speta

Scilla lilio-hyacinthus L. – Pyrenean squill

Scilla litardierei Breistr., syn. Chouardia litardierei, Scilla amethystina, Scilla pratensis, Scilla albanica, Scilla italica – amethyst meadow squill, Dalmatian scilla

Scilla lochiae (Meikle) Speta, syn. Chionodoxa lochiae

Scilla longistylosa Speta

Scilla luciliae (Boiss.) Speta, syn. Chionodoxa luciliae

Scilla lucis Speta

Scilla madeirensis Menezes – Madeiran squill

Scilla melaina Speta

Scilla merinoi S.Ortiz, Rodr.Oubiña & Izco

Scilla mesopotamica Speta

Scilla messeniaca Boiss.

Scilla mischtschenkoana Grossh., syn. Scilla tubergeniana – Tubergen squill

Scilla monanthos K.Koch

Scilla monophyllos Link

Scilla morrisii Meikle

Scilla nana (Schult. & Schult.f.) Speta, syn. Chionodoxa nana

Scilla nivalis Boiss.

Scilla oubangluensis Hua

Scilla paui Lacaita

Scilla peruviana L. – Portuguese squill, corymbose squill, Cuban lily

Scilla petersii Engl.

Scilla platyphylla Baker

Scilla pleiophylla Speta

Scilla pneumonanthe Speta

Scilla reuteri Speta

Scilla rosenii K.Koch

Scilla sardensis (Whittall ex Barr & Sugden) Speta, syn. Chionodoxa sardensis

Scilla schweinfurthii Engl.

Scilla siberica Andrews – Siberian squill

Scilla simiarum Baker

Scilla sodalicia N.E.Br.

Scilla subnivalis (Halácsy) Speta

Scilla tayloriana Rendle

Scilla textilis Rendle

Scilla uyuiensis Rendle.

Scilla vardaria Yildirim & Gemici

Scilla verdickii De Wild.

Scilla verna Huds. – spring squill

Scilla villosa Desf.

Scilla vindobonensis Speta

Scilla voethorum Speta

Scilla welwitschii Poelln.

Scilla werneri De Wild.

A hybrid has been named:

Scilla × allenii (G.Nicholson) Speta

Formerly included

Scilla autumnalis – autumn squill: see Prospero autumnale

Scilla maritima – sea squill: see Drimia maritima

Scilla nutans – common bluebell: see Hyacinthoides non-scripta

Scilla siehei – glory-of-the-snow: see Scilla forbesii