Perennial herb from a tunicate bulb; tunic dark brown; bulbils often present. Leaves 3-7, linear. Inflorescence to about 30 cm; raceme dense, to 5 cm. Flowers numerous, ovoid, constricted, pendulous, to 6 mm long; spring. Tepals bright blue to purplish, lobes white. Sterile flowers few, paler and uniformly coloured.

South-eastern Europe, Asia Minor and the Caucasus.

M. azureum Fenzl from Turkey and Caucasus is a perennial herb from a tunicate bulb; tunic pale brown; bulbils absent. Leaves 2-3, broadly linear, paler and waxy blue above. Inflorescence to about 20 cm; raceme dense, to 3 cm. Flowers numerous, bell-shaped, not constricted, pendulous, to 5 mm long; spring. Tepals pale to bright blue with a darker stripe, lobes the same colour as the tube. Sterile flowers few, paler. M. 'Album' Flowers white.

M. latifolium T. Kirk from south and west Turkey is a perennial herb from a tunicate bulb; tunic dark brown; bulbils absent. Leaves 1, very broadly linear. Inflorescence to about 30 cm; raceme dense, to 4 cm. Flowers numerous, urn-shaped, constricted, pendulous, to 6 mm long; spring.Tepals and lobes dark violet, almost black. Sterile flowers numerous, blue to violet-purple.

M.neglectumTenn., Common Grape Hyacinth, from the eastern Mediterranean is a very similar perennial herb from a tunicate bulb; tunic dark to reddish-brown; bulbils sometimes present. Leaves 3-6, linear, channelled. Inflorescence to about 30 cm; raceme dense, to 5 cm. Flowers numerous, ovoid to urn-shaped, strongly constricted, pendulous, to 7.5 mm long; spring. Tepals dark violet, almost black; lobes white. Sterile flowers numerous, smaller, paler or bright blue. [M. racemosum Lam. & DC.]

Source: Forster, P. (2005). Ledebouria. In: Spencer, R.. Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 5. Flowering plants. Monocotyledons. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.