Bulbine bulbosa

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Bulbine lily
Bulbine bulbosa flower.jpg
Bulbine bulbosa near Hobart
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Asphodelaceae
Subfamily: Asphodeloideae
Genus: Bulbine
Species:
B. bulbosa
Binomial name
Bulbine bulbosa
Synonyms [1]
  • Anthericum bulbosumR.Br.
  • Blephanthera depressa Raf. nom. illeg.
  • Blephanthera hookeriRaf.
  • Bulbine australis Spreng. nom. illeg.
  • Bulbine fraseri Kunth
  • Bulbinopsis bulbosa(R.Br.) Borzi
  • Phalangium bulbosum (R.Br.) Kuntze
  • Anthericum bulbosum auct. non R.Br.: Hooker, W.J. in Hooker, W.J. (ed.) (1830)

Bulbine bulbosa, commonly known as bulbine lily, native leek, golden lily, or native onion, [2] is a species of flowering plant in the family Asphodelaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is a perennial herb with thick roots, channelled leaves, and yellow flowers with hairy stamen filaments.

Contents

Description

Bulbine bulbosa is a perennial herb that grows in tufts 27–75 cm (11–30 in) high with thick, fleshy roots and usually a bulb-like tuber. There are between three and seven leaves, channelled to more or less cylindrical, tapering and hollow, up to 30 cm (12 in) long and 1–5 mm (0.039–0.197 in) wide. The flowers are borne in racemes 4.5–26 cm (1.8–10.2 in) long with up to fifty fragrant flowers on one or two scapes 19–50 cm (7.5–19.7 in) long. Each flower is on a pedicel 5–30 mm (0.20–1.18 in) long with a bract 0.7–15 mm (0.028–0.591 in) long at the base. The six tepals are yellow, 9–22 mm (0.35–0.87 in) long and 1–3.5 mm (0.039–0.138 in) wide, and the stamens are 8–9 mm (0.31–0.35 in) long with golden-brown, club-shaped hairs on the filaments, and gold-coloured anthers. Flowering occurs from February to March and the fruit is a more or less spherical to oval capsule 3–6 mm (0.12–0.24 in) long. [2] [3] [4]

Taxonomy

This species was first formally described in 1810 by Robert Brown who gave it the name Anthericum bulbosa in his Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen . [5] [6] In 1821, Adrian Hardy Haworth changed the name to Bulbine bulbosa in Revisiones Plantarum Succulentarum. [7] The specific epithet (bulbosa) means "bulb", although the species does not form true bulbs. [8]

The taxon may be a complex of up to four distinct species. [9]

Distribution and habitat

Bulbine bulbosa is found in all Australian states and the Australian Capital Territory, except for Western Australia and the Northern Territory. It grows in a wide range of habitats but usually in damp places in grassland, woodland and forest, sometimes at altitudes above 1,800 m (5,900 ft). [2] [3] [4]

Ecology

Experiments have shown that the ability of self-sown seeds of B. bulbosa to germinate between tufts of grasses of several species, depends on the species of grass and the gap width between the tufts. The experiments were performed to test the performance of the B. bulbosa in habitat reconstruction programs in south-eastern Australia. [10]

Uses

Bush food

The corms of mature plants are nutritious, containing calcium and iron, and were used as food by Aboriginal people, [11] who called it parm, puewan, and pike. They regarded the corms as the sweetest-tasting of the lily and lily-like Australian plants. [8]

Use in horticulture

The long-lasting stalks of fragrant, attractive yellow flowers and its moderate frost-hardiness have encouraged its use as a garden flower in suitable areas. Few garden varieties have been developed, however. The plant can be propagated from seeds or by division of the corm. Seeds are released from the ripened seed capsules and are best kept at least a month or two before use. They should be sown in the spring, and germination takes about 35 days. Watering and good drainage are essential. [8]

The species suppresses self-fertilization, so collecting seeds from garden-grown plants may result in low germination. [12] Planting seeds from multiple sources may increase yield. [10]

Toxicity

The plant is said to cause scouring if eaten by sheep or cattle. [2] [13] [14]

Related Research Articles

<i>Calypso bulbosa</i> Species of orchid

Calypso is a genus of orchids containing one species, Calypso bulbosa, known as the calypso orchid, fairy slipper or Venus's slipper. It is a perennial member of the orchid family found in undisturbed northern and montane forests. It has a small pink, purple, pinkish-purple, or red flower accented with a white lip, darker purple spottings, and yellow beard. The genus Calypso takes its name from the Greek signifying concealment, as they tend to favor sheltered areas on conifer forest floors. The specific epithet, bulbosa, refers to the bulb-like corms.

<i>Erythronium americanum</i> Species of flowering plant

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<i>Bulbine</i> Genus of flowering plants in the family Asphodelaceae

Bulbine is a genus of plants in the family Asphodelaceae and subfamily Asphodeloideae, named for the bulb-shaped tuber of many species. It was formerly placed in the Liliaceae. It is found chiefly in Southern Africa, with a few species extending into tropical Africa and a few others in Australia and Yemen.

<i>Crinum asiaticum</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Amaryllidaceae

Crinum asiaticum, commonly known as poison bulb, giant crinum lily, grand crinum lily, or spider lily, is a plant species widely planted in many warmer regions as an ornamental. It is a bulb-forming perennial producing an umbel of large, showy flowers that are prized by gardeners. However, all parts of the plant are poisonous if ingested. Some reports indicate exposure to the sap may cause skin irritation.

<i>Stypandra glauca</i> Species of plant

Stypandra glauca, commonly known as the nodding blue lily, is a flowering plant in the family Asphodelaceae. It is a rhizomatous perennial plant with blue lily-like flowers with yellow stamens. It is widespread across southern areas of Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ornamental bulbous plant</span> Herbaceous perennials with underground storage parts grown for ornamental purposes

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<i>Dianella revoluta</i> Species of flowering plant

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<i>Conostylis aculeata</i> Species of flowering plant

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<i>Teucrium racemosum</i> Species of plant

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<i>Goodenia lanata</i> Species of flowering plant

Goodenia lanata, commonly known as trailing goodenia in Victoria and native primrose in Tasmania is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is a prostrate or low-lying perennial herb with hairy, egg-shaped leaves and racemes of yellow flowers.

<i>Teucrium corymbosum</i> Species of flowering plant

Teucrium corymbosum, commonly known as forest germander, is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae and is native to Australia and New Guinea. It is a perennial herb or subshrub densely covered with glands and with narrow egg-shaped leaves usually with toothed edges, and groups of mostly up to ten white flowers.

<i>Patersonia sericea</i> Species of flowering plant

Patersonia sericea, commonly known as purple flag or silky purple-flag is a species of plant in the iris family Iridaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a densely-tufted perennial herb with linear, sword-shaped leaves, broadly egg-shaped, bluish-violet tepals and an oval capsule.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Families of Asparagales</span>

The Asparagales are an order of plants, and on this page the structure of the order is used according to the APG III system. The order takes its name from the family Asparagaceae and is placed in the monocots. The order is clearly circumscribed on the basis of DNA sequence analysis, but is difficult to define morphologically, since its members are structurally diverse. The APG III system is used in World Checklist of Selected Plant Families from the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew. With this circumscription, the order consists of 14 families with approximately 1120 genera and 26000 species.

<i>Veronica calycina</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Plantaginaceae

Veronica calycina, commonly known as hairy speedwell or cup speedwell, is a flowering plant in the family Plantaginaceae. It is a trailing perennial with dark green leaves, purple-blue flowers and is endemic to Australia.

<i>Lomandra multiflora</i> Species of plant in Asparagaceae family

Lomandra multiflora is a perennial, rhizomatous herb found in Australia. Lomandra multiflora is also commonly known as many-flowered mat rush, mat rush and many flowered mat-lily. Lomandra multiflora is a species that is native to Australia and can be found in New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, Northern Territory of Australia and also in Papua New Guinea. The mat rush is distributed widely in the region and common within its preferred growing conditions. The conservation status of Lomandra multiflora is considered not to be of concern and risk.

<i>Dianella longifolia</i> Perennial herb

Dianella longifolia, commonly known as blueberry lily, pale flax lily or smooth flax lily, or blue flax-lily, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asphodelaceae and is endemic to non-arid areas of Australia. It is a tufted, rhizomatous, perennial herb with grass-like leaves, pale blue, white or greenish flowers that have pale yellow anthers, and shiny, pale blue berries.

<i>Brachyscome aculeata</i> Species of flowering plant

Brachyscome aculeata, commonly known as hill daisy, is a tufted perennial herb in the family Asteraceae and is endemic to Australia. It has mostly white daisy-like flowers, a yellow centre, variable shaped leaves and flowers in spring to autumn.

<i>Tricoryne elatior</i> Species of plant

Tricoryne elatior is a species of flowering plant in the family Asphodelaceae, native to Australia, and found in all its states and territories.

Goodenia quadrilocularis is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae and is endemic to south-coastal areas in the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect, woody perennial herb with egg-shaped to lance-shaped leaves with toothed edges, and racemes of yellow flowers.

<i>Goodenia rotundifolia</i> Species of plant

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References

  1. 1 2 "Bulbine bulbosa". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Bulbine bulbosa". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  3. 1 2 "Bulbine bulbosa". Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  4. 1 2 "Bulbine bulbosa". State Herbarium of South Australia. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  5. "Anthericum bulbosa". APNI. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  6. Brown, Robert (1810). Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae. London. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  7. "Bulbine bulbosa". APNI. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  8. 1 2 3 Vivian, Lyndsey. "Bulbine bulbosa". Australian National Botanic Gardens. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  9. Cytoevolutionary studies in the genus Bulbine Wolf (Liliaceae). I. The Australian perennial taxa (B. bulbosa s.l.)
  10. 1 2 The mechanism of self-sterility in Bulbine bulbosa: self-incompatibility or inbreeding depression. Archived September 12, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  11. Isaacs, J. 1987. Bush Food: Aboriginal Food and Herbal Medicine. Weldon, Sydney, Australia.
  12. Facilitated autogamy and costs of selfing in the perennial herb Bulbine bulbosa (Asphodelaceae).
  13. Plants for a Future - Bulbine bulbosa
  14. Everist, S.L. (1981). Poisonous Plants of Australia (revised ed.). Sydney: Angus & Robertson. p. 504.