Lachenalia viridiflora

Last updated

Lachenalia viridiflora
Lachenalia viridiflora 1DS-II 1-8707.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Asparagaceae
Subfamily: Scilloideae
Genus: Lachenalia
Species:
L. viridiflora
Binomial name
Lachenalia viridiflora

Lachenalia viridiflora, commonly known as the green-flowered Cape cowslip or turquoise hyacinth, [3] [4] is a species of flowering plant in the asparagus family native to the southwest Cape Provinces of South Africa. [5] It was discovered in the 1960s, and first described in 1972 by Winsome Fanny Barker. [6]

Contents

Description

Lachenalia viridiflora is a bulbous species of perennial plant that grows 8-20cm tall. [7] Each plant grows two leaves, which may be plain or with dark spots. [3] In the winter, plants produce racemes of tubular turquoise flowers with white tips; [3] it is for this reason that Barker chose the specific epithet 'viridiflora', which is Latin for green-flowered. [6] The flowers are pollinated by the lesser double-collared sunbird. [6]

Habitat and distribution

Lachenalia viridiflora is endemic to the Vrendenburg Peninsula, where there are two extant sub-populations. [1] It grows in full sun on granite outcrops in sandy soil which becomes waterlogged in the winter. [6] [7] Lachenalia viridiflora is an endangered species, and is threatened by habitat loss and overgrazing. [1]

Cultivation

Lachenalia viridiflora is cultivated as a garden ornamental, and has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. [3] Plants can be propagated through somatic embryogenesis, [8] leaf cuttings, and by sowing seeds. [6]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Lachenalia viridiflora". redlist.sanbi.org. South African National Biodiversity Institute. Retrieved 2021-06-12.
  2. ↑ J. S. African Bot. 38: 179 (1972)
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Lachenalia viridiflora green-flowered Cape cowslip". The Royal Horticultural Society. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  4. ↑ "Turquoise hyacinth". Temperate House. Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2021-06-12.
  5. ↑ "Lachenalia viridiflora W.F.Barker". Plants of the World Online. Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2017. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Duncan, Graham (June 2003). "Lachenalia viridiflora". pza.sanbi.org. South African National Biodiversity Institute. Retrieved 2021-06-12.
  7. 1 2 "Lachenalia viridiflora W.F.Barker". worldfloraonline.org. Retrieved 2021-06-12.
  8. ↑ Kumar, Vijay; Moyo, Mack; Van Staden, Johannes (2016-11-01). "Enhancing plant regeneration of Lachenalia viridiflora, a critically endangered ornamental geophyte with high floricultural potential" . Scientia Horticulturae. 211: 263–268. doi:10.1016/j.scienta.2016.08.024. ISSN   0304-4238.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.