Acis

The genus Acis was defined in 1807, by Salisbury. Some 80 years later it was lumped into Leucojum and remained there for many years. Generations of gardeners came to know a variety of species as Leucojum. In 2004 an extensive study by Lledo and co-workers* concluded that Acis was distinct and they separated the two genera again.

Leucojum now comprises just two species, aestivum and vernum, which are closely related to Galanthus. Leucojum proper have broad, flat green leaves, hollow flower stems and flowers marked on all six petal tips with green or yellow-green marks. The 10 or so smaller species with narrow, thread-like leaves, solid (not hollow) flower stems and flowers without green markings are now Acis.

Some species moved from Leucojum to Acis have slight name changes, usually just a gender agreement, so Leucojum roseum becomes not Acis roseum but Acis rosea etc. There has also been a rethink of Greek plants formerly said to be Leucojum valentinum (Acis valentina). Acis valentina is in fact exclusively Spanish whilst the Greek plants are a totally new species, Acis ionica. Acis valentina is not found in Greece or her islands.

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*Lledo, Davis, Crespo, Chase and Fay. “Phylogenetic analysis of Leucojum and Galanthus (Amaryllidaceae) based on plastid matK and nuclear ribosomal spacer (ITS) DNA sequences and morphology”. Plant Systematics and Evolution, July 2004.