E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

Hyacinthoides hispanica (Mill.) Rothm.
Spanish bluebells (Hispanic hyacinthoides)
Asparagaceae
(Previously in Liliaceae)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

© Gerry & Wendy Ansell  Email the photographer   (Photo ID #70870)

E-Flora BC Static Map
Distribution of Hyacinthoides hispanica
Click here to view our interactive map and legend
Details about map content are available here
Click on the map dots to view record details.

Introduction

The Spanish bluebell is a bulbous perennial species native to the Iberian Peninsula that is introduced (gardens) and naturalized in British Columbia. It is similar in appearance to the English or common bluebell, but is much less strongly scented and larger flowered, with blue anthers (white in English bluebell).

Species Information

Click on the image below to view an expanded illustration for this species.



General:
Perennial herb from a scaly, egg-shaped, 2- to 3-cm long bulb; flowering stems erect, 20-50 cm tall, smooth.
Leaves:
Basal leaves several, strap-shaped, grass-like, 20-45 cm long, 1-3 cm wide, smooth, sheathing at the base, the margins entire; stem leaves lacking.
Flowers:
Inflorescence an elongate, erect, terminal cluster of 10 to 16, stalked flowers, the stalks 0.5-3 cm long, ascending, subtended by a pair of bluish bracts; flowers blue to pink-purple, sometimes whitish, broadly bell-shaped, ascending to nodding, of 6 similar tepals fused at the base, the tepals narrowly egg-shaped, spreading or flaring, 1.5-2 cm long; stamens 6, attached at the middle of the perianth; pistil 1, 3-chambered.
Fruits:
Capsules, 3-lobed; seeds few to several, egg-shaped, black.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Habitat / Range

Mesic to moist edges of forests, roadsides and waste places in the lowland zone; locally frequent garden escape on S Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands and the adjacent mainland, rare on the Queen Charlotte Islands; introduced from Europe.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Climate

The climate type for this species, as reported in the: "British Columbia plant species codes and selected attributes. Version 6 Database" (Meidinger et al. 2008), is not evaluated, unknown or variable.

Synonyms and Alternate Names

Endymion hispanicus (Mill.) Chouard
Scilla hispanica

Taxonomic and Nomenclatural Links

Additional Photo Sources

General References