Daubenya | |
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Daubenya ?marginata in cultivation in Japan | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Monocots |
Order: | Asparagales |
Family: | Asparagaceae |
Subfamily: | Scilloideae |
Genus: | Daubenya Lindl. [1] |
Type species | |
Daubenya aurea | |
Synonyms | |
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Daubenya is a genus of bulbous flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae (also treated as the family Hyacinthaceae). [2] It is native to the Cape Province of South Africa. [1]
At first believed to consist of a single species, Daubenya aurea, the genus was expanded in 2000 to include the genera Androsiphon and 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."- (Speta 1998)
Species of Daubenya grow from bulbs covered with a brownish tunic. Each bulb produces only two leaves, which appear with the flowers and normally spread out along the ground on either side. The inflorescence is a raceme, usually very condensed and close to the ground. Individual flowers are white, pink, yellow or red, sometimes with the tepals furthest from the flowering stem (i.e. on the outside of the inflorescence) larger than the others. The tepals are fused at the base forming a distinct tube. The stamens arise from the mouth of this tube, and are often very prominent. The more or less globe-shaped black seeds are produced inside a papery capsule. [3] [4]
Species are variously pollinated by bees, butterflies, moths, the monkey beetle Lepisia glenlyonensis [5] and sunbirds. [6] The water-retaining nature of doleritic clays ensures their remaining moist for longer than clays formed from shales of the Karoo series. Exceptionally, D. namaquensisis, is found in deep red sands and D. zeyheri in calcareous coastal sands.
There is no formal conservation policy for Daubenya species and their future prospects remain bleak. Cultivated bulbs of D. aurea are on offer at commercial nurseries, though all the species are worthy of cultivation for their bright and often fragrant flowers. [7]
As of March 2013 [update] , the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families recognized eight species: [8] All but D. aurea were transferred to the genus Daubenya during revisions of the South African members of the Scilloideae in early 2000s; they were previously placed in Androsiphon, Amphisiphon, Polyxena, Massonia, or Neobakeria. [9]
Image | Scientific name | Distribution |
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Daubenya alba A.M.van der Merwe | Northern Cape Province. | |
Daubenya aurea Lindl. | South Africa | |
Daubenya capensis (Schltr.) A.M.van der Merwe & J.C.Manning (syn. Androsiphon capensisSchltr.) | northwest Cape | |
Daubenya comata (Burch. ex Baker) J.C.Manning & A.M.van der Merwe (syn. Massonia comataBurch. ex Baker) | Free State, Northern Cape and the North Eastern parts of Western Cape | |
Daubenya marginata (Willd. ex Kunth) J.C.Manning & A.M.van der Merwe (syn. Massonia marginataWilld. ex Kunth) | northwest Cape. | |
Daubenya namaquensis (Schltr.) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt (syn. Neobakeria namaquensisSchltr.) | Namaqualand. | |
Daubenya stylosa (W.H.Baker) A.M.van der Merwe & J.C.Manning (syn. Amphisiphon stylosusW.H.Baker) | Bokkeveld Plateau. | |
Daubenya zeyheri (Kunth) J.C.Manning & A.M.van der Merwe (syn. Massonia zeyheriKunth) | South Western Cape. | |
Scilloideae is a subfamily of bulbous plants within the family Asparagaceae. Scilloideae is sometimes treated as a separate family Hyacinthaceae, named after the genus Hyacinthus. Scilloideae or Hyacinthaceae include many familiar garden plants such as Hyacinthus (hyacinths), Hyacinthoides (bluebells), Muscari and Scilla and Puschkinia. Some are important as cut flowers.
Galtonia is a genus of plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae. Native to Southern Africa, the genus is named after Sir Francis Galton. According to some authorities it has been subsumed into Ornithogalum as a subgenus, while others prefer to keep it as a separate genus.
Scilla luciliae is a species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae. It is referred to by the common names Bossier's glory-of-the-snow or Lucile's glory-of-the-snow, and is a bulbous perennial from western Turkey that flowers in early spring. After flowering, it goes into dormancy until the next spring. The specific epithet is in honour of Lucile, the wife of the Swiss botanist Pierre Edmond Boissier (1810-1885). 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.
Massonia is a genus of bulbous perennial flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae. It is native to southern Africa, and is found in localities such as Namaqualand with hot and dry summers, being dormant in summer and growing during winter. The genus Whiteheadia has been merged into Massonia. It is classed as a cryptophyte.
Puschkinia is a genus of four known species of bulbous perennials in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae. It is native to the Caucasus and the Middle East. Puschkinia scilloides is grown as an ornamental bulbous plant.
Scilla section Chionodoxa, known as glory-of-the-snow, is a small group of bulbous perennial flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae. Formerly treated as the separate genus Chionodoxa, they are now included in Scilla as a section. The section is endemic to the eastern Mediterranean, specifically Crete, Cyprus and Turkey. The blue, white or pink flowers appear early in the year making them valuable garden ornamentals. The common name of the group is based on the habit of flowering in high alpine zones when the snow melts in spring.
Eucomis is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae, native to southern Africa. Most species of this genus are commonly referred to as pineapple flowers or pineapple lilies. They are bulbous perennials with basal rosettes of leaves and stout stems covered in star-shaped flowers with a tuft of green bracts at the top, superficially resembling a pineapple – hence the common names.
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.
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.
Drimia is a genus of African, south European and south Asian flowering plants. In the APG IV classification system, it is placed in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae. When broadly circumscribed, the genus includes a number of other genera previously treated separately, including Litanthus, Rhodocodon, Schizobasis and Urginea.
Hyacinthella is a genus of bulbous flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae. It is native to eastern and south-eastern Europe through to northern Iran, reaching as far south as Palestine. Turkey is the main country in which species are found.
Alrawia is a genus of bulbous flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae. It is native to north-eastern Iraq and Iran.
Dipcadi is a genus of bulbous flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae. It is widely distributed, occurring in southern Europe, most of Africa and the Middle East through to the Indian subcontinent.
Fessia is a genus of bulbous flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae. It is distributed from Iran to Central Asia and Pakistan.
Merwilla is a genus of bulbous flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae. It is distributed in southern Africa, from Zimbabwe to South Africa. This genus is named after the botanist Frederick Ziervogel Van der Merwe (1894–1968), who worked on this group.
Namophila is a monotypic genus of bulbous flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae. The sole species Namophila urotepala is endemic to Namibia.
Prospero is a genus of bulbous flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae. It is distributed in Europe, around the Mediterranean, and through the Middle East to the Caucasus.
Pseudogaltonia is a genus of bulbous flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae. It is distributed in southern Africa.
Pseudoprospero is a genus of bulbous flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae. The genus has a single species Pseudoprospero firmifolium, which is endemic to South Africa.
Spetaea is a monotypic genus of bulbous flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae. The only known species Spetaea lachenaliiflora is found only in the south-west of the Cape Province in South Africa. Prior to 2003, it was incorrectly known as Scilla plumbea.