Brunsvigia

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Brunsvigia
Brunsvigia josephinae (Villa Hanbuy, Italy).JPG
Brunsvigia josephinae
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Amaryllidaceae
Subfamily: Amaryllidoideae
Genus: Brunsvigia
Heist. [1]
Synonyms [2]

Brunsuigia Heist., alternate spelling

Brunsvigia is a genus of African flowering plants in the family Amaryllidaceae, subfamily Amaryllidoideae. [3] It contains about 20 species native to southeastern and southern Africa from Tanzania to the Cape Provinces of South Africa.

Contents

Description

Brunsvigia are perennial, deciduous, temperate, bulbous herbal plants. Most species have subterranean bulbs but they are usually half-exposed in B. herrei and B. josephinae. Bulbs are tender, usually large (up to 20 cm diameter), winter-growing and summer-dormant, generally flowering in early autumn. Tunics are often thick and cartilaginous, typically brittle and tan-coloured, although they are brown and papery in B. josephinae and B. litoralis.

The leaves are annual; when mature, the leaves are broad and oblong to tongue-shaped. In species with small bulbs – B. radula, B. comptonii, and B. namaquana – there are just two or three leaves per plant but most other species have at least four leaves per bulb. B. josephinae has the distinction of producing as many as 20 leaves. The leaves mostly lie flat on the ground and sometimes press down so firmly that they lie vertically if the bulb is dug up. Only in B. litoralis, B. josephinae, B. grandiflora, B. undulata and B. herrei do the leaves stand clear of the ground. Although usually smooth, the upper leaf surfaces of two Namaqualand species (B. radula and B. namaquana) are covered with straw-coloured bristles and in some populations of B. striata from the southern Cape, they bear soft, scale-like hairs. In the winter rainfall region of southern Africa, the foliage is produced after the flowering heads have been shed, whereas in the summer rainfall region the vegetative and flowering stages often overlap. The scape is firm, to 35 cm, deciduous and breaking at ground level in fruiting time.

The inflorescences, a few- to many-flowered umbels, are particularly conspicuous. In most species the pedicels are long, stiff, straight and radiate outwards to form an almost perfectly spherical head; they elongate and spread after blooming. However, B. litoralis, B. josephinae and B. orientalis differ in having pedicels that curve below each flower. Just three species (B. pulchra, B. marginata and B. elandsmontana) have compact, brush-like inflorescences. The flowers are zygomorphic or almost actinomorphic with short tube, segments spreading-recurved. The six tepals of each flower are free to the base or shortly fused into a tube. Radially symmetrical, trumpet-shaped flowers occur in species with compact, dense inflorescences, whereas bilaterally symmetrical flowers occur in species with open, lax heads. In B. comptonii, B. radula and B. namaquana the flowers are highly asymmetrical as all but one tepal curve upwards. Often the flowers are scented and all produce nectar. Their colour vary from ruby-red to brilliant scarlet or pale to bright pink and in some species the entire inflorescence is attractively coloured. Pink flowers are the norm, whereas red flowers are found in B. marginata, B. orientalis, B. litoralis and B. josephinae. Floral markings are often variable within species but dark veins on the tepals are characteristic for B. bosmaniae and B. gregaria. When in flower, the plants are spectacular but the flowering period is brief and restricted to summer and autumn.

Stamens clustered, arising from the perianth tube, ± declinate or erect, shortly connate at base. Stigma capitate, trilobate (three-lobed). Each locule has 3-10 superimposed ovules whose shape resembles a spinning top. Style filiform, declinate. The water-rich, non-dormant, ovoid, reddish green seeds are borne in large, dry capsules that are spindle-shaped or three-angled, obtuse or acute, transversally veined, and often heavily ribbed. Capsules are dehiscent loculicidally or breaking unevenly. Dehiscence in most species of Brunsvigia is somewhat tardy and confined to the apex of the capsule, hampered below by heavy ribs that keep the septa closed for most of their length. [4] The number of chromosomes is 2n = 22. [5] [6] [7]

Brunsvigia is the only genus of Amaryllideae in which several species have stout, somewhat tubular, brilliant scarlet, pink, or red flowers that are adapted to bird pollination. [6]

The genus Brunsvigia was named after the House of Braunschweig [Brunswick]-Lüneburg, [5] specifically honouring the Duke of Brunswick who promoted the study of plants, including the beautiful Cape species B. orientalis. The name was first used in 1753 by Lorenz Heister, a German surgeon and botanist, to describe a single bulb received in 1748 by Gustaaf Willem van Imhoff from Ryk Tulbagh at the Cape. [8]

Species: [9] [10]

ImageScientific nameDistribution
Brunsvigia bosmaniae09.jpg Brunsvigia bosmaniae F.M.Leight.northwest and southwest Cape province
Brunsvigia comptonii W.F.Barkerwestern Karoo
Brunsvigia elandsmontana SnijmanWestern Cape
Brunsvigia gariepensis SnijmanCape province
Brunsvigia grandiflora S-1737.jpg Brunsvigia grandiflora Lindl.Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Free State.
Brunsvigia gregaria R.A.DyerCape province
Brunsvigia herrei Leight. ex W.F.BarkerNamibia southward into Namaqualand.
Brunsvigia josephinae 1.jpg Brunsvigia josephinae (Delile) Ker Gawl.western Cape to the western Karoo
Brunsvigia kirkii BakerTanzania to Malawi.
Brunsvigia litoralis R.A.Dyersoutheastern Cape
Brunsvigia marginata (Jacq.) W.T.Aitonwestern Cape.
Brunsvigia namaquana D.Müll.-Doblies & U.Müll.-DobliesNamaqualand.
Candelabra Flower (Brunsvigia natalensis) (31823361647).jpg Brunsvigia natalensis BakerSouth Africa
Brunsvigia nervosa (Poir.) ined.Cape province
Brunsviga orientalis.JPG Brunsvigia orientalis (L.) Aiton ex Eckl.Western Cape.
Brunsvigia pulchra (W.F.Barker) D.Müll.-Doblies & U.Müll.-DobliesNamaqualand
Brunsvigia radula (Jacq.) W.T.AitonNamaqualand
Brunsvigia radulosa 20D 4288.jpg Brunsvigia radulosa Herb.Eastern Cape and the Orange Free State.
Brunsvigia undulata F.M.Leight.Eastern Cape.

Related Research Articles

<i>Amaryllis</i> Genus of plants

Amaryllis is the only genus in the subtribe Amaryllidinae. It is a small genus of flowering bulbs, with two species. The better known of the two, Amaryllis belladonna, is a native of the Western Cape region of South Africa, particularly the rocky southwest area between the Olifants River Valley and Knysna. For many years there was confusion among botanists over the generic names Amaryllis and Hippeastrum, one result of which is that the common name "amaryllis" is mainly used for cultivars of the genus Hippeastrum, widely sold in the winter months for their ability to bloom indoors. Plants of the genus Amaryllis are known as belladonna lily, Jersey lily, naked lady, amarillo, Easter lily in Southern Australia or, in South Africa, March lily due to its propensity to flower around March. This is one of numerous genera with the common name "lily" due to their flower shape and growth habit. However, they are only distantly related to the true lily, Lilium. In the Victorian Language of Flowers, amaryllis means "pride, determination and radiant beauty".

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

Clivia is a genus of monocot flowering plants native to southern Africa. They are from the family Amaryllidaceae, subfamily Amaryllidoideae. Common names are Natal lily or bush lily.

<i>Amaryllis belladonna</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Amaryllidaceae

Amaryllis belladonna, the Jersey lily, belladonna-lily, naked-lady-lily, or March lily, is a plant species native to Cape Province in South Africa but widely cultivated as an ornamental. It is reportedly naturalized in many places: Corsica, Portugal, the Azores, Madeira, the Canary Islands, the Scilly Isles of Great Britain, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ascension Island, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Chile, California, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and the Juan Fernández Islands.

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

Nerine is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Amaryllidaceae, subfamily Amaryllidoideae. They are bulbous perennials, some evergreen, associated with rocky and arid habitats. They bear spherical umbels of lily-like flowers in shades from white through pink to crimson. In the case of deciduous species, the flowers may appear on naked stems before the leaves develop. Native to South Africa, there are about 20–30 species in the genus. Though described as lilies, they are not significantly related to the true lilies (Liliaceae), but more closely resemble their relatives, Amaryllis and Lycoris. The genus was established by the Revd. William Herbert in 1820.

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

Haemanthus is a Southern African genus of flowering plants in the family Amaryllidaceae, subfamily Amaryllidoideae. Members of the genus are known as blood lily and paintbrush lily. There are some 22 known species, native to South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho and Eswatini. About 15 species occur in the winter rainfall region of Namaqualand and the Western Cape, the remainder being found in the summer rainfall region, with one species Haemanthus albiflos occurring in both regions.

<i>Strumaria</i> Genus of plants

Strumaria is a genus of African plants in Amaryllis family, subfamily Amaryllidoideae. The genus is known in nature only from South Africa, Lesotho and Namibia. Almost all species flower in the autumn and are cultivated as ornamental bulbous plants.

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

Ammocharis is a small genus from sub-Saharan Africa, in the family Amaryllidaceae which includes seven species distributed in Africa. The plant grows as above-ground bulb, preferring seasonally wet, hot, sandy soils and full sun.

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

Cyrtanthus is a genus of perennial, herbaceous and bulbous plants in the family Amaryllidaceae, subfamily Amaryllidoideae.

<i>Ammocharis longifolia</i> Species of flowering plant

Ammocharis longifolia is a species of bulbous plant in the family Amaryllidaceae. It has been placed as the only species, Cybistetes longifolia, in the monotypic genus Cybistetes.

Griffineae Tribe of flowering plants

The tribe Griffineae includes 2 genera with 22 species from South America which are actually endemic to Brazil. A typical character of the representatives of the tribe are the flowers - They are with blue or lilac color collected into an umbel. Only the members of this tribe and the genus Lycoris are able to form flowers with such color in the whole family Amaryllidaceae. The plants in this group are typical perennial flowers which are producing bulbs. The leaves are green, with elliptical form in the most of the cases but in some members as in Worsleya they are sword-shaped.

Amaryllidaceae Family of flowering plants comprising members popular for horticulture and vegetable production

The Amaryllidaceae are a family of herbaceous, mainly perennial and bulbous flowering plants in the monocot order Asparagales. The family takes its name from the genus Amaryllis and is commonly known as the amaryllis family. The leaves are usually linear, and the flowers are usually bisexual and symmetrical, arranged in umbels on the stem. The petals and sepals are undifferentiated as tepals, which may be fused at the base into a floral tube. Some also display a corona. Allyl sulfide compounds produce the characteristic odour of the onion subfamily (Allioideae).

Amaryllidoideae Subfamily of flowering plants

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<i>Nerine masoniorum</i> Species of flowering plant

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Amaryllideae Tribe of flowering plants

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Strumariinae Subtribe of flowering plants

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Crininae Subtribe of flowering plants

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Haemanthinae Subtribe of flowering plants

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<i>Drimia elata</i> Species of flowering plant

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Dierdré A. Snijman South African botanist

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Strumaria discifera is a species of flowering plant in the family Amaryllidaceae, native to west and south-west Cape Provinces. It was first described in 1992.

References

  1. ↑ Heister, Lorenz 1755. Geschreibung eines neuen Geschlechts 3.
  2. ↑ Tropicos, Brunsvigia Heist.
  3. ↑ Stevens, P.F., Angiosperm Phylogeny Website: Asparagales: Amaryllidoideae
  4. ↑ Snijman, Deirdre A. (2012), "A revision of the Brunsvigia radula-group (Amaryllidaceae: Amaryllideae) of species in South Africa, including the description of Brunsvigia gariepensis a new species from Bushmanland in Northern Cape", South African Journal of Botany, 79: 106–116, doi: 10.1016/j.sajb.2011.12.005
  5. 1 2 Van Jaarsveld, Ernst (2020), "Brunsvigia AMARYLLIDACEAE", in Eggli, U.; Nyffeler, R. (eds.), Illustrated Handbook of Succulent Plants: Monocotyledons, Springer-Verlag GmbH, doi:10.1007/978-3-662-56486-8_37
  6. 1 2 Meerow, Alan W.; Snijman, Deirdre A. (1998), "Amaryllidaceae", in Kubitzki, Klaus (ed.), The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants, vol. III, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg GmbH, pp. 83–110, doi:10.1007/978-3-662-03533-7, ISBN   978-3-642-08377-8
  7. ↑ Deirdre "Dee" Snijman, Plants of South Africa, South Africa National Biodiversity Institute, April 2005
  8. ↑ "Flowers of Southern Africa" - Auriol Batten (Southern, 1988)
  9. ↑ Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
  10. ↑ Sanbi Red List of South African Plants, Species search: Brunsvigia

Bibliography

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