Muscari comosum

Morphological description

Perennial herbaceous plant belonging to the family Asparagaceae, with a geophytic bulbous life cycle. The perennial organ is an ovoid bulb, reddish-brown in color, about 2-4 cm in diameter, from which leaves and flowering scape develop each year.

The height generally varies between 15 and 50 cm, with basal fleshy, linear green leaves, 0.5 to 1.5 cm wide, shorter than the scape. The leaves are grooved underneath, sheathing at the base, with rough margins and tapering to an acute apex; they appear prostrate or erect-spreading and tend to wilt as the season progresses.

The inflorescence is a terminal raceme often cylindrical or pyramidal, loose and elongated, which can exceed 20 cm in length. The flowers are distinguished into two types: the fertile flowers, located in the lower part of the raceme, are reddish-brown or brownish-green, with a tubular-urceolate perigonium 7-9 mm long, bluish-violet or dull yellow, equipped with six tepals with yellowish teeth at the apex. These fertile flowers are inserted in the axil of small bracts and have peduncles initially erect that orient horizontally or downward during fruiting. The stamens are six with reddish anthers, while the style and stigma are white; the ovary is superior and tricarpellary.

Above the fertile flowers is a characteristic tuft (called “bow”) of sterile flowers of a bright bluish-violet, smaller in size, with longer peduncles directed upwards. This “plume” gives the plant a distinctive appearance.

The fruits are ovate-triangular, obtuse capsules, up to 15 mm long, with three valves that open at maturity to release 6 globose black seeds.

The root system is bulbous and tuberous, with a bulb deep in the soil, allowing the plant to survive the most adverse environmental conditions.

Habitat and distribution

The species is widely distributed in the Mediterranean area, with a range extending throughout Italy, being more frequent in southern regions. It is also present in central and southern Europe, western Asia, and North Africa.

It grows mainly in open environments such as cultivated fields, uncultivated lands, vineyards, and dry meadows, preferring calcareous and well-drained soils. It is commonly found up to 1,500 meters in altitude, from hilly to medium mountain zones.

The preferred exposure is sunny or semi-sunny, in Mediterranean climate conditions with dry summer seasons.

Flowering period

Flowering mainly occurs between April and July, with peaks that may vary slightly depending on latitude and altitude. In Italy and the Mediterranean, the main period is from late spring to early summer.

Ecology and pollination

The fertile flowers, with their brownish-green color and tubular shape, are adapted for pollination by pollinating insects, particularly bees and other hymenopterans, attracted both by the color and the flower structure.

The presence of the tuft of bluish-violet sterile flowers at the apex of the raceme may have an ecological function of visual attraction for pollinating insects, thus facilitating the plant’s reproduction.

Seed dispersal occurs through the fall from mature capsules, which open to release the black and globose seeds, favoring local propagation.

Curiosities and traditional uses

Known in Italy as “cipollaccio azzurro col fiocco” or “lampascione,” it is an edible plant with a long traditional use in food and folk medicine.

The underground bulb is used in cooking in ways similar to onion: it can be eaten raw in salads or cooked in sauces, boiled, or prepared sweet and sour. It is also preserved pickled as an appetizer or side dish. In Basilicata, lampascione is recognized as a traditional agri-food product, protected by the Ministry of Agricultural Policies.

From a medicinal point of view, the plant possesses diuretic and emollient properties, thanks to the presence of sugars and mucilages. It is used to stimulate urinary secretions and, for external use, as an emollient and refresher for irritated, dry skin or with boils.

In ethnobotany, in Spain it is called “Hierba de los amores” and was historically attributed to the bulbs properties stimulating sexual desire.

Etymology

The genus name probably derives from the Sanskrit mushka (testicle), referring to the shape of the bulbs, or from modern Greek moschàri (clustered hyacinth) or classical Greek mòschos (musk), for the scent of some species of the genus.

The specific name comosum means “tufted,” alluding to the characteristic “bow” of bluish sterile flowers crowning the top of the inflorescence.

The synonym Leopoldia is a tribute to Leopold II, Grand Duke of Tuscany.

The Italian common name “lampascione” derives from popular tradition and refers precisely to the edible bulb, similar to the onion.

Sources

• Acta Plantarum - Flora delle regioni italiane (scheda di Giuliano Salvai)
• Tela Botanica / H. Coste, "Flore descriptive et illustrée de la France"
• World Flora Online (WFO)