Eucomis schijffii

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Eucomis schijffii
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Asparagaceae
Subfamily: Scilloideae
Genus: Eucomis
Species:
E. schijffii
Binomial name
Eucomis schijffii
Reyneke [1]

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.

Contents

Description

Eucomis schijffii is a short summer-growing bulbous plant. The smallest of the species of Eucomis as of 2018, [2] it is about 10–15 cm (4–6 in) tall. [3] Its bulb is globular, 2–4 cm (341+12 in) across. Three to four ovate leaves emerge from the bulb and lie flat on the soil. The leaves are often bluish grey (glaucous), about 5–10 cm (2–4 in) long and 3–7 cm (1–3 in) across, sometimes purple tinged or spotted underneath. The leaf margins are smooth or with very small indentations. The flowers are arranged in a raceme on a purple stem (peduncule) 4–10 cm (1+12–4 in) tall. The raceme is topped by a head or "coma" of 10 to 15 ovate bracts that sometimes have purple margins. The unpleasantly scented flowers have six dark reddish purple tepals and purple stamen filaments, and are either sessile or have very short stalks (pedicels). The ovary, and the inflated capsule that develops from it, are greenish, generally with some purple shading. [2]

Taxonomy

Eucomis schijffii was first described in 1976 by William Reyneke, [1] who named it to honour his professor, H. P. van der Schijff. [2] It is one of a group of mainly short, diploid species with 2n = 2x = 30 chromosomes. [4] Its small stature and ovate leaves normally lying flat on the ground, along with purple flowers and stamen filaments, distinguish it from similar dwarf Eucomis species. [5]

Distribution and habitat

Eucomis schijffii is endemic to the Drakensberg mountains of Lesotho and the KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape provinces of South Africa. It occurs up to 3,200 m (10,500 ft), the highest altitude for any Eucomis species. It is found in somewhat shaded, damp rock faces and open rocky grassland where temperatures often fall below freezing in winter. [6]

Cultivation

Eucomis schijffii is cultivated as an ornamental plant. Its small size makes it more suitable for rock gardens or containers, either outside or in a cool greenhouse. An acid growing medium is recommended. It is hardy down to −5 °C (23 °F) if kept dry. [6] It has been grown successfully outside in several locations in Britain. [2] It can be propagated from seed, although seed-raised plants take four to five years to flower. It can also be propagated from leaf cuttings; the base of the leaf produces small bulblets. [6]

Related Research Articles

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

Eucomis comosa, the pineapple flower, pineapple lily or wine eucomis, is a species of flowering plant in the asparagus family Asparagaceae. 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.

<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>Eucomis</i> Genus of flowering plants

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.

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

Eucomis autumnalis, the autumn pineapple flower, or autumn pineapple lily, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae, native to Malawi, Zimbabwe and southern Africa. It is a mid to late summer flowering deciduous bulbous perennial. The flower stem reaches about 40 cm (16 in), rising from a basal rosette of wavy-edged leaves. The green, yellow or white flowers are arranged in a spike (raceme), topped by a "head" of green leaflike bracts. It is grown as an ornamental garden plant and can also be used as a cut flower.

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

Eucomis vandermerwei is a South African bulbous perennial flowering plant, a member of the asparagus family, and like other members of Eucomis is commonly known as pineapple lily for its superficial resemblance to that plant, although not closely related to it. This species is one of the smallest in the genus, and is native to a high-rainfall region of western Mpumalanga in South Africa. The dense rosette of leaves, either prostrate or ascending, is heavily blotched with purple, and the leaf-edges are markedly crisped or wavy. The star-shaped burgundy flowers appear in midsummer, and are borne on a spike (raceme) topped by a "head" of leafy bracts.

<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>Pseudoprospero</i> Genus of flowering plants

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.

<i>Scadoxus membranaceus</i> Species of plant

Scadoxus membranaceus is a flowering plant in the Amaryllidaceae family. It is a bulbous plant from South Africa. The smallest of the species of Scadoxus, it is sometimes cultivated as an ornamental plant where a minimum temperature of 5 °C (41 °F) can be maintained.

<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.

<i>Crassula nudicaulis</i> Species of succulent

Crassula nudicaulis is a succulent plant native to South Africa, and Lesotho.

Graham Dugald Duncan(born 1959) is a South African botanist and specialist bulb horticulturalist at the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, Cape Town, South Africa.

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

Eucomis regia is a species of bulbous flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae, native to the Cape Provinces of South Africa. It is sometimes cultivated, but requires protection in a greenhouse in temperate climates.

Eucomis amaryllidifolia is a species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae, native to the Cape Provinces. It is a short, summer-flowering bulbous plant, with a dense spike (raceme) of yellowish-green flowers topped by a "head" of leafy bracts. In Afrikaans it is called kliplelie.

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.

Plectranthus purpuratus or cliff spurflower is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae, native to South Africa's Kwazulu-Natal and Mpumalanga provinces, as well as eSwatini. The name is frequently misapplied to Plectranthus ciliatus, presumably because both have purple-backed leaves.

<i>Albuca setosa</i> Species of plant

Albuca setosa is a species of small, perennial, bulbous plant in the asparagus family. It is native to the Cape Provinces and KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa.

References

  1. 1 2 "Eucomis schijffii", World Checklist of Selected Plant Families , Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew , retrieved 2018-10-10
  2. 1 2 3 4 Compton, James (1990), "Eucomis L'Heritier", The Plantsman, 12 (3): 129–139
  3. "Eucomis schijffii Reyneke", African Plant Database, Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques & South African National Biodiversity Institute, retrieved 2018-10-28
  4. 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 .
  5. Crouch, Neil R. (2010), "An adaptation of Reyneke's key to the genus Eucomis" (PDF), PlantLife (39 & 40): 45–52, archived from the original (PDF) on 2021-08-10, retrieved 2018-10-29
  6. 1 2 3 Duncan, Graham (July 2011), "Eucomis schijffii", PlantZAfrica.com, SANBI, retrieved 2018-10-29