Acis rosea

Acis rosea, known as the rose snowflake,[2] is a species of flowering plant in the family Amaryllidaceae, native to Corsica and Sardinia.[1] Unlike most members of the genus Acis, it has pink rather than white flowers. It is grown as an ornamental plant but requires protection from frost.

Acis rosea
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Amaryllidaceae
Subfamily: Amaryllidoideae
Genus: Acis
Species:
A. rosea
Binomial name
Acis rosea
(F.Martin bis) Sweet[1]
Synonyms[1]
  • Leucojum roseum F.Martin bis
  • Galanthus autumnalis All.
  • Leucojum trichophyllum var. uniflorum Redouté

Description

Acis rosea is a small bulbous perennial, growing up to 12 cm tall. The grey-green leaves are narrow and usually appear after the flowers. Flowering occurs in autumn. The flowers are small, 5–9 mm long, and have pink tepals – most other species of Acis have white tepals. The pedicels (flower stalks) are short, 1–5 mm long. There are two spathes.[2][3]

Taxonomy

Acis rosea was first described in 1804 by F. Martin, as Leucojum roseum. In 1829, Robert Sweet transferred it to Acis.[1] However, Acis was not accepted by most botanists, who continued to use a broadly circumscribed Leucojum.[2][3] Acis was reinstated in 2004, after it was determined on morphological and molecular grounds that the broadly defined genus Leucojum was paraphyletic.[4]

Distribution and habitat

Acis rosea is native to the two western Mediterranean islands of Corsica and Sardinia. It is found in rocky ground, dry pastures and sandy places.[2][3]

Cultivation

Acis rosea is cultivated as an ornamental bulb. As it is not frost-hardy, it is usually grown in a bulb frame or alpine house.[2][3]

References
  1. "Acis rosea", World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, retrieved 2017-12-06
  2. Grey-Wilson, Christopher; Mathew, Brian & Blamey, Marjorie (1981), Bulbs : the bulbous plants of Europe and their allies, London: Collins, ISBN 978-0-00-219211-8, p. 135 (as Leucoium roseum)
  3. Mathew, Brian (1987), The Smaller Bulbs, London: B.T. Batsford, ISBN 978-0-7134-4922-8, pp. 120–121 (as Leucojum roseum)
  4. Lledó, Ma D.; Davis, A.P.; Crespo, M.B.; Chase, M.W. & Fay, M.F. (2004), "Phylogenetic analysis of Leucojum and Galanthus (Amaryllidaceae) based on plastid matK and nuclear ribosomal spacer (ITS) DNA sequences and morphology" (PDF), Plant Systematics and Evolution, 246 (3–4): 223–243, doi:10.1007/s00606-004-0152-0, retrieved 2017-12-04
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