Seasonal Wild Flowers

Portuguese Squill

Scilla peruviana

Cuban-lily, Peruvian Scilla, Hyacinth-of-Peru

Asparagaceae

May to June

It is found in the Isles of Scilly and other parts of Cornwall.

For a map see the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland –

It is a neophyte from the Western Mediterranean.that was introduced

into the UK in the mid 1700s.

It is still grown as an ornamental crop in bulb fields on St. Marys

in the Isles of Scilly. Cultivars can be blue, white or purple.

Portuguese Squill is a perennial bulbiferous herb growing up to 40cm.

The flowering stem bears a dense pyramidal raceme of up to 100 flowers.

Each flower is up to 2cm across and has 6 blue/purple tepals.

There are 6 stamens with prominent white/yellow anthers.

The ovary and style are bottle-shaped with a capitate stigma.

The leaves are up to 60cm long and 4cm broad.

Portuguese Squill in a bulb field

Each flowering stem has about 100 flowers in a pyramid

Each flower has 6 tepals, 6 stamens and a bottle-shaped

ovary and style with a capitate stigma

Long, broad leaves

A bulb field on St Marys, Isles of Scilly