Asparagaceae . . . . . Asparagus family

Includes the following genera:
Agave,     Asparagus,     Camassia,     Convallaria,     Cordyline,     Hyacinthoides,     Hyacinthus,     Muscari,     Ornithogalum,     Polygonatum,     Ruscus,     Scilla,     Yucca

For a key to Genera of All "Lilies" go to Lilies


Blue to mauve fls      or       White to cream fls

Blue to mauve flowers:
Hyacinthoides
Muscari
Hyacinthus
Camassia
Bluebells
Grape-hyacinth
Hyacinth
Camassia

Scilla autumnalis
Scilla verna
Scilla siberica
Scilla peruviana
Autumn Squill
Spring Squill
Blue Squill
Portuguese Squill

Scilla
Puschkinia
Chinodoxa
Striped Squill
White to cream flowers:
Puschkinia
Ornithogalum
Yucca
Hyacinthoides
Striped Squill
Star-of-Bethlehem
Yucca
Bluebell

Polygonatum multiflorum
Convallaria majalis
Cordyline
Asparagus
Solomon's-seal
Lily-of-the-valley
Cabbage palm
Asparagus

Ruscus
Maianthemum
Maianthemum
Butcher's Broom
May Lily
False Solomon's-seal

Asparagaceae/Agave . . . Century-plant

Asparagaceae/Asparagus . . . Asparagus

Apparent lvs are actually modified stems borne in clusters (whorls)

Asparagus officinalis. . . . Garden Asparagus

Asparagus prostratus. . . . Wild Asparagus

Very local plant of the CI, Cornwall and S Wales and SE Ire - smaller and more prostrate than above

Asparagaceae/Camassia . . . Quamash

Camassia leichtlinii. . . .

Garden escape

Asparagaceae/Convallaria . . . Lily-of-the-Valley

Convallaria majalis. . . . Lily-of-the-Valley

Dry base-rich woods and garden escape

Asparagaceae/Cordyline . . . . . Cabbage-palm

Asparagaceae/Cordyline australis . . . . . Cabbage-palm

Asparagaceae/Hyacinthoides . . . Bluebells

Hyacinthoides non-scripta. . . . Bluebell

In the true bluebell the flowering shoot is clearly one-sided with drooping rich blue (or white) flowers; anthers cream

Hyacinthoides hispanica. . . . Spanish Bluebell

Anthers same colour as 'petals', which can be white or blue; N.B. The true Spanish bluebell is rare - most 'Spanish' bluebells are hybrids (below)

Hyacinthoides x massartiana. . . . Hybrid Bluebell

Commoner than the H. non-scripta or H. hispanica parents and intermediate; tends to have paler blue flowers, erect flowering shoot with flowers on all sides of the shoot, flowers not drooping

Similar spp. :

Squills

Asparagaceae/Hyacinthus . . . Hyacinth

Hyacinthus orientale. . . . Hyacinth

Can be any of a wide range of colours from white-pink-blue; Persistent when thrown out of gardens

Asparagaceae/Maianthemum . . . May Lily

Maianthemum bifolium . . . . May Lily

A rare woodland native of NE En, a scattered rarely persistent introduction elsewhere

Maianthemum racemosum . . . . False Solomon-seal

A rare introduction

Asparagaceae/Muscari . . . . . Grape Hyacinths

Muscari comosum . . . . . . Tassel Hyacinth

Local, esp. in SW and CI

Muscari armenaicum . . . . . . Grape Hyacinth


Note that the rare native Grape Hyacinth (M. neglectum) has v. dark to black lower fertile flowers

Similar spp. :

Squills

Asparagaceae/Ornithogalum . . . . Star-of-Bethlehem

Ornithogalum umbellatum. . . . Star-of-Bethlehem

The commonest of several mostly introduced spp.; flowers spread along stem - not actually an umbel; note green undersides of 'petals'(tepals)

Several other spp. are native or have been naturalised in various places (O. pyrenaicum, O. nutans and O. arabicum)
Can be confused with - Alliums, but they have all fls coming from same point (true umbels):
. . . .

Asparagaceae/Polygonatum . . . . Solomon's-seal

Polygonatum multiflorum . . . . Solomon's-seal

Elliptic lvs (fls 9-15 mm long); locally frequent in basic woodland in En & Wa.

Polygonatum x hybridum . . . . Garden Solomon's-seal

Similar to Solomon's-seal (P. multiflorum) but fls 15-22 mm, and slightly ridged stems; scattered throughout BI

Polygonatum odoratum . . . . Angular Solomon's-seal

Flowers are 15-30 mm, not contracted in middle (c.f. P. verticillatum); a rather local plant of limestone woods esp. in NW En and the Severn estuary

Polygonatum verticillatum. . . . Whorled Solomon's-seal

A rather local plant in wooded valleys of Angus and Perthshire; flowers 5-10 mm long.

Asparagaceae/Puschkinia . . . . Striped Squill

Puschkinia scilloides. . . . Striped Squill

A widely planted spring bulb, only rarely naturalised; mostly = var. libanotica

Asparagaceae/Ruscus . . . . Butchers-broom

Ruscus aculeatus. . . . Butchers-broom

Rather local in S Br and CI

Asparagaceae/Scilla . . . . Squills

Squills - Choose from:

S. autumnalis
S. verna
S. siberica
S. peruviana
Autumn Squill
Spring Squill
Siberian Squill
Portuguese Squill

Chionodoxas:
S. forbesii
S. luciliae
S. sardensis
Chionodoxa/Glory-of-the-Snow
Boissier's Chionodoxa
Lesser Glory-of-the-snow

Scilla autumnalis . . Autumn Squill

Local - mainly in CI where locally common and SW

Scilla forbesii . . . . Glory-of-the-Snow/Chionodoxa

Much grown in gardens and persisting when thrown out; >4 fls/stem, each <30 mm across; 'petals' (=tepals) joined at white base (c.f. S. siberica)

Scilla luciliae . . . . Bossier's Glory-of-the-Snow/Chionodoxa

1(-3) fls/stem, each >30 mm across; less common than S. forbesii

Scilla peruviana . . . . Peruvian Squill

Very scattered as garden throw-out in S, W and CI and Man

Scilla sardensis . . . . Lesser Glory-of-the-snow

Very scattered locally; 'petals' (=tepals) blue without white base (c.f. S. forbesii)

Scilla siberica . . . . Blue or Siberian Squill

Naturalised and scattered locally; flowers hang down; 'petals' (=tepals) divided to base (c.f. S. forbesii)

Scilla verna . . Spring Squill

Locally common on W coasts N to Shetland and NE

Asparagaceae/Yucca . . . . Yucca

Yucca gloriosa. . . . Yucca or Spanish-daggers

Rarely naturalised