Puschkinia

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Monocots
Ordo: Asparagales

Familia: Asparagaceae
Subfamilia: Scilloideae
Tribus: Hyacintheae
Subtribus: Hyacinthinae
Genus: Puschkinia
Species: P. bilgineri – P. kurdistanica – P. peshmenii – P. scilloides
Name

Puschkinia Adams, Nova Acta Acad. Sci. Imp. Petrop. Hist. Acad. 14: 164. 1805.

Type species: Puschkinia scilloides Adams, Nova Acta Acad. Sci. Imp. Petrop. Hist. Acad. 14: 164. 1805

Synonyms

Homotypic
Adamsia Willd., Mag. Neuesten Entdeck. Gesammten Naturk. Ges. Naturf. Freunde Berlin 2: 16. 1808.

Distribution
Native distribution areas:

Asia-Temperate
Caucasus
North Caucasus, Transcaucasus.
Western Asia
Iran, Iraq, Lebanon-Syria, Turkey.

References: Brummitt, R.K. 2001. TDWG – World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions, 2nd Edition
References
Primary references

Adams, J.M.F. 1805. Nova Acta Academiae Scientiarum Imperialis Petropolitanae. Praecedit Historia ejusdem Academiae 14: 164.

Additional references

Rukšāns, J. 2019. Puschkinia kurdistanica (Asparagaceae) – a new species from the shores of Lake Van in Turkey. International Rock Gardener 116: 3–18. PDF Reference page.

Links

Govaerts, R. et al. 2014. Puschkinia in World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2014 Mar. 3. Reference page.
Tropicos.org 2014. Puschkinia. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2014 Mar. 7.
International Plant Names Index. 2014. Puschkinia. Published online. Accessed: Mar. 7 2014.
USDA, ARS, Germplasm Resources Information Network. Puschkinia in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. Accessed: 08-Apr-12.

Vernacular names
suomi: Posliinihyasintit

Puschkinia is a genus of three known species of bulbous perennials in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae.[2] It is native to the Caucasus and the Middle East.[1] Puschkinia scilloides is grown as an ornamental bulbous plant.

Description

The leaves are green, strap-like, and grow in pairs. The flowers are borne in early spring in racemes up to about 25 cm (10 in) high. The six tepals are joined at the base to form a tube to about half their length. Like members of the genus Chionodoxa, the bases of the stamens are flattened and closely clustered in the middle of the flower; however, unlike Chionodoxa, they are joined to form a cup or corona. In the related genus Scilla (squills), the stamens are not flattened or clustered together. Seeds are borne in three-parted capsules. After the seed ripens in early summer, the plants become dormant until the next spring.[3][4]
Close-up of flower of Puschkinia scilloides
Taxonomy

The genus Puschkinia was erected by Johann Friedrich Adam in 1805.[1] It is named in honor of the Russian botanist Apollo Mussin-Pushkin.[4] Now placed in the subfamily Scilloideae of the family Asparagaceae,[2] like other lilioid monocots, it was once included in the Liliaceae.
Species

As of May 2017, the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families accepted three species:[5]

Puschkinia bilgineri Yildirim – Turkey
Puschkinia peshmenii Rix & B.Mathew - native to Turkey and Iran
Puschkinia scilloides Adams (striped squill) - native to the Caucasus, Turkey, northern Iran and Lebanon; found in mountain meadows and stony slopes up to 3,000 m (9,800 ft)

Cultivation

Puschkinia scilloides is grown as an ornamental bulbous plant, particularly recommended as an early flowering bulb for cool, well drained positions.[3] Puschkinia peshmenii is rare in cultivation.[4]
Culture

In 1993, an illustration of Puschkinia scilloides was used as a postage stamp in Azerbaijan, with a series of other flowers, including Iris reticulata, Tulipa systola (syn. T. persica), Iris acutiloba, Iris iberica subsp. elegantissima (syn. I. elegantissima) and Tulipa florenskyii.[6]
References

"Puschkinia", World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, retrieved 2017-08-08
Stevens, P.F., Angiosperm Phylogeny Website: Asparagales: Scilloideae, retrieved 2017-08-08
Mathew, Brian (1987), "Puschkinia", The Smaller Bulbs, London: B.T. Batsford, p. 145, ISBN 978-0-7134-4922-8
Rix, Martyn & Mathew, Brian (2007), "582. Puschkinia peshmenii", Curtis's Botanical Magazine, 24 (1): 54–57, doi:10.1111/j.1467-8748.2007.00561.x
"Search for Puschkinia", World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, retrieved 2017-05-05
"Azerbaijan". stampworld.com. Retrieved 7 March 2016.