Eucomis comosa

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Eucomis comosa
Eucomis punctata 913.jpg
1806 illustration
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Asparagaceae
Subfamily: Scilloideae
Genus: Eucomis
Species:
E. comosa
Binomial name
Eucomis comosa
(Houtt.) H.R.Wehrh. [1] [2]
Synonyms [1]
Synonyms
  • Asphodelus comosusHoutt.
  • Eucomis punctataL'Hér.
  • Fritillaria punctata(L'Hér.) J.F.Gmel.
  • Ornithogalum punctatum(L'Hér.) Thunb.
  • Eucomea elataSalisb.
  • Basilaea punctata(L'Hér.) Mirb.
  • Eucomis punctata var. striataKer Gawl.
  • Eucomis striata(Ker Gawl.) W.T.Aiton
  • Eucomis punctata var. concolorBaker

Eucomis comosa, the pineapple flower, pineapple lily or wine eucomis, is a species of flowering plant in the asparagus family Asparagaceae (subfamily Scilloideae). A deciduous bulbous perennial used as an ornamental plant, it is endemic to South Africa. The white to purple flowers appear in summer and are arranged in a spike (raceme), topped by a "head" of green leaflike bracts.

Contents

Description

Eucomis comosa is a perennial plant, growing from a large bulb, which is often purple in colour. The leaves form a basal rosette, and are 30–80 cm (12–31 in) long by 3–10 cm (1–4 in) wide, with a smooth, slightly undulating margin. The leaves usually have purple spots and may have an overall purple tinge; var. striata has purple stripes. The inflorescence, a raceme, appears in summer (late July or early August in the UK) and is borne on a stem (peduncule) 40–60 cm (16–24 in) tall. Individual flowers have stalks (pedicels) 15–20 mm (9⁄16–13⁄16 in) long. The tepals are whitish to purple, the ovary always purple. Most plants have a pleasant coconut-like scent. The inflorescence is topped by a head (coma) of bracts, often purple spotted or tinged like the leaves. [3] The overall effect is of a miniature pineapple plant (Ananas comosus), though in fact the two species are not closely related. [4]

Taxonomy

The species was first described by Maarten Houttuyn in 1780, as Asphodelus comosus. [1] The specific epithet comosus (shared by the pineapple, Ananas comosus) means "tufted". [5] In 1929, Heinrich Rudolf Wehrhahn  [ es ] transferred the species to Eucomis . [1] It is one of a group of larger tetraploid species of Eucomis , with 2n = 4x = 60. [6]

Distribution and habitat

Eucomis comosa is native to the east Cape Provinces and the province of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. [1] It is found in rocky ground at elevations of around 1,600 m (5,200 ft). [3]

Cultivation

Eucomis comosa is an ornamental plant with numerous cultivars, varying in colour from forms with white flowers and little or no purple on the leaves, to forms with deeply coloured leaves. Described as "surprisingly hardy" in the UK, [3] down to −5 or −10 °C (23 or 14 °F), [3] [4] it needs a sheltered spot in full sun, and a protective mulch in winter when grown where frosts occur. [4] In the UK, the cultivar 'Sparkling Burgundy', with reddish purple leaves, has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. [4] [7]

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

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<i>Linaria maroccana</i> Species of flowering plant

Linaria maroccana is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family known by the common names Moroccan toadflax and annual toadflax. It is native to Morocco, but it can be found elsewhere growing wild as an introduced species, such as California. It is a readily available ornamental plant for the flower garden. This is an annual herb growing erect to approach a maximum height of 50 cm (20 in), its stem with linear leaves 2–4 cm (0.8–1.6 in) long. The inflorescence is a raceme of flowers occupying the top of the stem. At the base of each flower is a calyx with five narrow, pointed lobes. The flower is 2–4 cm (0.8–1.6 in) long with five lobes arranged into two lips with a spur at the end. The flower is often purple in color with white near the throat, but flowers of many different colors are bred for the garden. Dwarf cultivars are also available.

<i>Hypoestes phyllostachya</i> Species of flowering plant

Hypoestes phyllostachya, the polka dot plant, is a species of flowering plant in the family Acanthaceae, native to South Africa, Madagascar, and south east Asia. The spots often merge into larger areas of colour.

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

Eucomis bicolor, the variegated pineapple lily or just pineapple lily, is a bulbous species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae, native to Southern Africa. The pale green, purple-margined flowers are arranged in a spike (raceme), topped by a "head" of green leaflike bracts. It is cultivated as an ornamental bulbous plant, although its flowers have an unpleasant smell, attractive to the main pollinators, flies.

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

Eucomis pallidiflora, the giant pineapple lily, is a bulbous species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae, native to southern Africa. The white to green flowers appear in summer and are arranged in a spike (raceme), topped by a "head" of green leaflike bracts. Some forms reach almost 2 m when in flower. The species is cultivated as an ornamental plant, although it is not hardy in areas where severe frosts occur.

<i>Nepeta racemosa</i> Species of flowering plant

Nepeta racemosa, the dwarf catnip or raceme catnip, syn. N. mussiniii, is a species of flowering plant in the mint family Lamiaceae, native to the Caucasus, Turkey and northern Iran. Growing to 30 cm (12 in) tall by 45 cm (18 in) wide, it is a herbaceous perennial with aromatic leaves and violet or lilac-blue flowers in summer.

<i>Origanum laevigatum</i> Species of plant in the family Lamiaceae

Origanum laevigatum is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae, native to Cyprus, Syria, and Turkey. Growing to 50–60 cm (20–24 in) tall by 45 cm (18 in) wide, it is a woody-based perennial, with strongly aromatic leaves, and loose clusters of pink funnel-shaped flowers with persistent purple bracts, throughout the summer.

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

Physoplexis comosa, the tufted horned rampion, is a species of flowering plant in the family Campanulaceae, native to alpine Europe. It is the only species in its genus, and was formerly included in Phyteuma.

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

Eucomis zambesiaca is a bulbous plant in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae, native to southern Africa, from Zimbabwe through Malawi to the Limpopo Province of South Africa. One of the smaller species in the genus, it has a rosette of leaves about 45 cm (18 in) across and white flowers in a spike to about 30 cm (12 in) tall.

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

Eucomis montana is a plant species in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae, found in South Africa and Eswatini (Swaziland). When in flower in summer, the plant reaches a height of up to 45 cm, with a dense spike (raceme) of greenish flowers, topped by a "head" of green bracts.

Eucomis grimshawii is a species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae, native to the Cape Provinces. It was first described by Graham Duncan and Ben Zonneveld in 2010.

Eucomis humilis is a species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae, native to KwaZulu-Natal and Lesotho. It was first described by Baker in 1895. The greenish to purplish flowers appear in summer and are arranged in a spike (raceme), topped by a "head" of green leaflike bracts. Cultivated as an ornamental plant, it can be grown successfully outside where frosts are not too severe.

Eucomis schijffii is a bulbous species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae, native to the Cape Provinces, KwaZulu-Natal and Lesotho. It was first described by William Frederick Reyneke in 1976. The reddish purple flowers appear in summer and are arranged in a spike (raceme), topped by a "head" of green leaflike bracts. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant and can be grown successfully outside where frosts are not too severe. The smallest of the species of Eucomis, it is particularly suited to being grown in rock gardens or containers.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Eucomis comosa". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved 2018-10-15.
  2. ↑ "Plant Name Details for Eucomis comosa (Houtt.) H.R.Wehrh". The International Plant Names Index . Retrieved 2018-10-15.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Compton, James (1990). "Eucomis L'Heritier". The Plantsman. 12 (3): 129–139.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "RHS Plantfinder - Eucomis comosa 'Sparkling Burgundy'" . Retrieved 19 February 2018.
  5. ↑ Harrison, Lorraine (2012). RHS Latin for Gardeners. United Kingdom: Mitchell Beazley. ISBN   978-1845337315.
  6. ↑ Zonneveld, B.J.M. & Duncan, G.D. (2010). "Genome sizes of Eucomis L'Hér. (Hyacinthaceae) and a description of the new species Eucomis grimshawii G.D.Duncan & Zonneveld". Plant Systematics and Evolution. 284 (1–2): 99–109. doi: 10.1007/s00606-009-0236-y .
  7. ↑ "AGM Plants - Ornamental" (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 37. Retrieved 19 February 2018.
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