Blue pride-of-Nieuwoudtville | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Monocots |
Order: | Asparagales |
Family: | Iridaceae |
Genus: | Geissorhiza |
Species: | G. splendidissima |
Binomial name | |
Geissorhiza splendidissima | |
Geissorhiza splendidissima, the blue pride-of-Nieuwoudtville, is a plant species of geophyte in the family Iridaceae. [2] It is endemic to Nieuwoudtville in the Northern Cape of South Africa. It is also called the Bokkeveld pride and splendid satin. [1]
Geissorhiza splendidissima has glossy, dark blue flowers with dark red-brown pollen. It has imbricate corm tunics typical of subg. Geissorhiza. The zygomorphic flowers with unilateral, declinate stamens and dark red-brown pollen are unusual, as is the somewhat ribbed sheath of the uppermost leaf. This character is shared with the apparently allied G. arenicola, a character that sets these two species somewhat apart in the section. [3]
Geissorhiza splendidissima is found in damp areas of stony clay flats in Renosterveld vegetation on the Kouebokkeveld Mountains around Nieuwoudtville.
Geissorhiza splendidissima is listed in the Red List of South African Plants as Vulnerable due to having lost 80% of its habitat through farming encroachment, in addition to the fact that it is localised to a small area surrounding Nieuwoudtville. [1]
The Namaqua rock rat and the Cape porcupine eat G. splendidissima. Ripened seeds fall off the plant which result in colonies of the plant. [4]
Agapanthus africanus, or the African lily, is a flowering plant from the genus Agapanthus found only on rocky sandstone slopes of the winter rainfall fynbos from the Cape Peninsula to Swellendam. It is also known as the lily-of-the-Nile in spite of only occurring in South Africa.
Protea laurifolia, also known as the grey-leaf sugarbush, is a shrub from South Africa. It is native to the Cape Provinces of South Africa.
Mimetes, the pagoda, is a genus of evergreen shrubs or small trees 0.5–6 m (1.6–19.7 ft) high, with thirteen species assigned to the family Proteaceae. This genus, as with other proteas, is popular with nectarivorous birds such as the Cape sugarbird and several sunbird species. All species of Mimetes are endemic to the Cape Floristic Region of South Africa.
Disa bracteata, also known as the bract disa, leek orchid or the South African weed orchid is a species of orchid native to South Africa.
Moraea aristata is a species of flowering plant in the family Iridaceae. It is referred to by the common names blue-eyed uintjie or Blouooguintjie in Afrikaans.It is endemic to the city of Cape Town and is considered to be critically endangered.
Baeometra is a genus in the family Colchicaceae containing a single species, Baeometra uniflora. It is native to South Africa, where it is commonly called beetle lily due to the dark markings on the tepals.
The Hantam National Botanical Garden is situated outside Nieuwoudtville. It is the first National Botanical Garden in the Northern Cape. The main section of the garden is 5 km south-east of the town, neighbouring the Oorlogskloof Nature Reserve.
Gladiolus alatus is a species of geophyte from South Africa. Common names include painted ladies, king kalkoentjie and kipkippie. Kalkoentjie means "little turkey" in Afrikaans and refers to the shape of the flower, which resembles a turkey's wattle. It is popular as a garden plant and an important part of the cut flower industry in parts of the world on account of its large and showy orange flowers.
Ixia monadelpha, also known as the pied kalossie or bontkalossie, is an endangered species of geophyte found in wet sandy flats in the southwestern Cape of South Africa.
Geissorhiza aspera, also known as the blue satin flower or blou sysie, is a geophyte from South Africa.
Geissorhiza melanthera is a small perennial plant of 14–18 cm high that is assigned to the family Iridaceae. It survives the dry southern summer through storage of its resources in a corm. The stem carries two or three erect, sticky leaves of up to 18 cm (7 in) long, H-shaped in cross-section. This species blooms with six to twelve bilaterally symmetrical flowers, in a spike. Sometimes the spike has one side branch with fewer flowers. Each flower has six pale beige perianth lobes, a purple-red ring around a purple red tube and three blackish stamens. Each flower is subtended by two 1.25–2.25 cm long green bracts. This species flowers from the end of September till mid October. It is an endemic of the western slopes of the Piketberg mountains in the Western Cape province of South Africa.
Romulea monadelpha is a herbaceous perennial geophyte in the family Iridaceae native to South Africa. It has a small corm in the soil, a few thread-like leaves, and trimerous dark red flowers with elaborate markings on the inside near the bottom of the flower. It is called karoo satynblom in Afrikaans.
Cyrtanthus ventricosus, commonly called fire lilly, is a small deciduous, bulbous plant reaching a height of 100–250 mm (3.9–9.8 in). It is in the amaryllis family, Amaryllidaceae, and is found along the Cape Fold Mountains from the Cape Peninsula, Western Cape, to the Kouga Mountains, Eastern Cape in South Africa.
Euryops ursinoides is a highly endemic and vulnerable species from South Africa. It is in the daisy family.
Acrosanthes anceps is a species of plant from South Africa.
Helichrysum retortum, the flask everlasting or sea strawflower, is a species of plant from South Africa.
Anaxeton arborescens, the northern paperposy, is a species of plant from South Africa. It grows in the fynbos biome.
Romulea hirsuta is a geophyte from South Africa. It has pink flowers with dark marks at the edges of the yellow center.
Lachenalia unifolia, the banded viooltjie, is the most common Lachenalia species in the Cape Floristic Region of South Africa.
Lachenalia variegata, also known as the spotty viooltjie, is a species of plant from the Western Cape of South Africa.