Leopoldia comosa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Leopoldia comosa |
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The tassel hyacinth (also known as Leopoldia comosa or Muscari comosum) is a fascinating plant. It grows from a bulb, like an onion, and comes back every year. People often call it the tassel grape hyacinth because its flowers look a bit like a tassel. You can find this plant growing naturally in rocky places and farms, especially around the Mediterranean Sea. It has also spread to other parts of the world. In some places, like southern Italy and Greece, people even eat its bulbs!
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What Does the Tassel Hyacinth Look Like?
This plant is quite striking! It has a tall stem, usually about 20 to 60 centimeters (8 to 24 inches) high. At the top, you'll see a bunch of bright blue or purple flowers that don't produce seeds. These are called "sterile" flowers.
Below them are brownish-green flowers that can produce seeds. These are the "fertile" flowers. When they first open, they look like dark blue buds. The way the flowers are arranged, especially the top tuft, makes the plant look like a tassel, which is how it got its name.
Flowers and Leaves
The individual flowers grow on long stalks. The sterile flowers at the top are often purple. The fertile flowers are bell-shaped and about 5 to 10 millimeters (0.2 to 0.4 inches) long. They have paler parts at their opening.
The leaves of the tassel hyacinth are long and thin, about 5 to 15 millimeters (0.2 to 0.6 inches) wide. They have a groove running down the middle.
Where It Grows
The tassel hyacinth spreads easily and can sometimes grow in many places. It started in the Mediterranean region but has moved north over time. For example, it first appeared in the British Isles in the 1500s.
There's also a special type of tassel hyacinth called 'Monstrosum' or 'Plumosum'. In this type, all the flowers become branched purple stems, making it look even more unique.
Tassel Hyacinth in the Kitchen
Did you know that people have been eating the bulbs of the tassel hyacinth for a very long time? The Roman writer Pliny the Elder mentioned that Romans ate them with vinegar, oil, and a sauce called garum.
Today, these bulbs are still a food in some Mediterranean countries. In parts of Italy, like Apulia and Basilicata, they are grown and called lampagioni or lampascioni.
In Greece, especially on the island of Crete, the bulbs are a special treat. People collect them from the wild. They boil the cleaned bulbs several times, then pickle them, and keep them in olive oil. The bulbs are also mentioned in old Hebrew writings as bulbūsīn.
Gallery
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Lampascioni sott'olio is a food from Italy, made from the bulbs of Leopoldia comosa.
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Insalata di lampascioni from Basilicata, served with scrambled eggs and peperoni cruschi.
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The leaves of the plant.
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An illustration from 1796 by Johann Georg Sturm.
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The ornamental type 'Plumosum'.
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A clear view of the flower, from Djerba island, Tunisia.
See also
In Spanish: Jacinto comoso para niños
