Perennial herb from a brown wooly-tunicate white bulb. Leaves 9-15, broadly linear or elliptic, appearing with the flowers. Inflorescence to about 25 cm, broadly conical, corymb-like, bracts present. Flowers more than 40, cup-shaped, erect; spring. Tepals to 15 mm long, pale violet-blue. Fruit ovoid, pointed. Seeds spherical, brown to black.
Southern Europe and northern Africa
S. amoena L., is of unknown origin and naturalised in southern Europe; it is a perennial herb with a purplish-brown tunicate white bulb. Leaves 4-7, linear, preceding the flowers. Inflorescence to about 20 cm, bracts absent. Flowers 3-6, bowl-shaped, erect; spring to summer.Tepals to 12 mm long, mauve blue with darker stripes. Fruit spherical. Seeds spherical, pale brown, appendage very short.
S. litardieri Beistr. from the Balkans is a perennial herb from a brown-tunicate white bulb. Leaves 3-6, linear, appearing with the flowers. Inflorescence to about 25 cm, conical, bracts present. Flowers 15-35, bell-shaped, erect; spring.Tepals to 12 mm long, pale blue. Fruit ovoid-spherical. Seeds spherical, brown to black. [S. pratensis Waldst. & Kit.]
S. monophyllos Link from Spain, Portugal and northern Africa is a perennial herb from a light brown tunicate white bulb. Leaf 1, broadly linear or elliptic, appearing with the flowers. Inflorescence to about 15 cm, bracts present. Flowers 2-6, bellshaped, erect; spring. Tepals to 9 mm long, pale violet-blue. Fruit spherical. Seeds spherical, brown to black. [S. tubergeniana Stearn in part]
S. siberica (Lindl.) Druce from China, Korea and Japan is a perennial herb from a dark purplish-brown tunicate white bulb. Leaves 2-4, broadly linear, appearing with the flowers. Inflorescence to about 20 cm, oblong, bracts present. Flowers 1-4, bowl-shaped, nodding; spring. Tepals to 6 mm long, bright blue with a darker stripe. Fruit spherical. Seeds spherical, pale brown, appendage large. S. 'Alba' Flowers white. S. 'Spring Beauty' Flowers bright deep blue, strongly scented.
Source: (2005). Ledebouria. In: . Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 5. Flowering plants. Monocotyledons. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.