Alrawia

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Alrawia
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Asparagaceae
Subfamily: Scilloideae
Genus: Alrawia
(Wendelbo) Perss. & Wendelbo [1]

Alrawia is a genus of bulbous flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae (also treated as the family Hyacinthaceae). [2] It is native to north-eastern Iraq and Iran. [1]

Contents

Description

Species of Alrawia grow from bulbs covered with a tunic that is grayish outside and often violet inside. They produce a single flowering stem (scape); the inflorescence consists of a raceme. Individual flowers are borne on a short stalk (pedicel) which is turned downwards when the flowers first appear. [3] The tepals are violet with whitish lobe tips and are joined at the base for up to half their length. [4] The pedicels lengthen and turn upwards after flowers are fertilized; the black seeds are globular or ovate. [3]

Species

As of March 2013, the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families recognized two species: [5]

Flowers up to 1 cm (0.4 in) long; tube one quarter the length of the whole flower; western Iran. [4]
Flowers slightly longer, up to 1.3 cm (0.5 in) long; tube one half the length of the whole flower; north-east Iraq. [4]

Cultivation

Brian Mathew describes the species as "enthusiasts' plants", being "not very showy". They are said to be easy to cultivate in a bulb frame or alpine house but not to increase readily. As they occur naturally in regions with hot dry summers, the bulbs need to be dried out when dormant. [4]

Related Research Articles

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<i>Puschkinia</i> Genus of flowering plants

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<i>Scilla sardensis</i> Species of flowering plant

Scilla sardensis, the lesser glory-of-the-snow, is a bulbous perennial from west Turkey flowering in early spring. After flowering, it goes into dormancy until the next spring. It belongs to a group of Scilla species that were formerly put in a separate genus, Chionodoxa, and may now be treated as Scilla sect. Chionodoxa.

<i>Scilla nana</i> Species of flowering plant

Scilla nana, known as dwarf glory-of-the-snow, is a bulbous perennial flowering plant endemic to Crete. It flowers in early spring with flowers in shades of lilac blue. After flowering, it goes into dormancy until the next spring. It belongs to a group of Scilla species that were formerly put in a separate genus, Chionodoxa, and may now be treated as Scilla sect. Chionodoxa. It has not always been recognized as distinct from Scilla cretica.

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<i>Muscari macrocarpum</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae

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<i>Oziroe</i> Genus of flowering plants

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<i>Daubenya</i> Genus of flowering plants

Daubenya is a genus of bulbous flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae. It is native to the Cape Province of South Africa. At first believed to consist of a single species, Daubenya aurea, the genus was expanded in 2000 to include the genera Androsiphonand Amphisiphon and various species that had previously been classified as Polyxena, Massonia, or Neobakeria. "The poor congruence between morphological and other characters within Hyacinthaceae has also made generic circumscriptions very difficult. One of the consequences of this has been the recognition of a large number of genera that are poorly defined morphologically."-

<i>Dipcadi</i> Genus of flowering plants

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<i>Fessia</i> Genus of flowering plants

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Scilla cretica is a species of flowering plant in the Asparagaceae family. It is referred to by the common name Cretan glory-of-the-snow, and is a bulbous perennial native to Crete, flowering in early spring. It belongs to a group of Scilla species that were formerly put in a separate genus, Chionodoxa, and may now be treated as Scilla sect. Chionodoxa. It has not always been recognized as distinct from Scilla nana.

<i>Eucomis regia</i> Species of flowering plant

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References

  1. 1 2 "Alrawia", World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew , retrieved 2013-03-27
  2. Stevens, P.F., "Asparagales: Scilloideae", Angiosperm Phylogeny Website, retrieved 2013-03-27
  3. 1 2 "Alrawia (Wendelbo) Perss. & Wendelbo", eMonocot, archived from the original on 2013-04-19, retrieved 2013-03-27
  4. 1 2 3 4 Mathew, Brian (1987), The Smaller Bulbs, London: B.T. Batsford, ISBN   978-0-7134-4922-8 , pp. 4–5
  5. Search for "Alrawia", World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew , retrieved 2013-03-27