Rhodohypoxis

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Rhodohypoxis
Rhodohypoxis bauri.JPG
Rhodohypoxis baurii in cultivation
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Hypoxidaceae
Genus:Rhodohypoxis
Nel

Rhodohypoxis is a small genus of tuberous flowering plants in the family Hypoxidaceae, native to southern Africa (South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland). [1] The small flowers, no more than 15 cm (6 in) high, are constructed so that their centres are not visible. Some species are in cultivation.

A genus is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, as well as viruses, in biology. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomenclature, the genus name forms the first part of the binomial species name for each species within the genus.

Tuber structures in some plant species used as storage organs for nutrients

Tubers are enlarged structures in some plant species used as storage organs for nutrients. They are used for the plant's perennation, to provide energy and nutrients for regrowth during the next growing season, and as a means of asexual reproduction. Stem tubers form thickened rhizomes or stolons. Common plant species with stem tubers include potato and yam. Some sources also treat modified lateral roots under the definition; these are encountered in sweet potato, cassava, and dahlia.

Hypoxidaceae family of plants

Hypoxidaceae is a family of flowering plants, placed in the order Asparagales of the monocots.

Contents

Description and distribution

Rhodohypoxis species grow from small tubers. They flower in the summer and die down in the winter. When in flower, they are typically 2–15 cm (0.8–5.9 in) tall. The flowers are white, pink or red; the bases of the tepals bend inwards, so that the stamens and ovary are not visible. Rhodohypoxis species are found in the eastern part of southern Africa, particularly in the Drakensberg mountains in the province of KwaZulu-Natal and Lesotho. This is a region of summer rainfall with relatively dry winters. [2]

Tepal

A tepal is one of the outer parts of a flower. The term is used when these parts cannot easily be classified as either sepals or petals. This may be because the parts of the perianth are undifferentiated, as in Magnolia, or because, although it is possible to distinguish an outer whorl of sepals from an inner whorl of petals, the sepals and petals have similar appearance to one another. The term was first proposed by Augustin Pyramus de Candolle in 1827 and was constructed by analogy with the terms "petal" and "sepal".

Stamen floral organ

The stamen is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium.

Ovary ovum-producing reproductive organ, often found in pairs as part of the vertebrate female reproductive system

The ovary is an organ found in the female reproductive system that produces an ovum. When released, this travels down the fallopian tube into the uterus, where it may become fertilized by a sperm. There is an ovary found on the left and right sides of the body. The ovaries also secrete hormones that play a role in the menstrual cycle and fertility. The ovary progresses through many stages beginning in the prenatal period through menopause. It is also an endocrine gland because of the various hormones that it secretes.

Species [3]
  1. Rhodohypoxis baurii (Baker) Nel - South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland
  2. Rhodohypoxis deflexa Hilliard & B.L.Burtt - Cape Province, Lesotho, KwaZulu-Natal
  3. Rhodohypoxis incompta Hilliard & B.L.Burtt - Lesotho, KwaZulu-Natal
  4. Rhodohypoxis milloides (Baker) Hilliard & B.L.Burtt - Cape Province, KwaZulu-Natal
  5. Rhodohypoxis rubella (Baker) Nel - Cape Province, Lesotho, KwaZulu-Natal
  6. Rhodohypoxis thodiana (Nel) Hilliard & B.L.Burtt - Lesotho, KwaZulu-Natal

Cultivation

Rhodohypoxis baurii is not uncommon in cultivation. It is not reliably frost hardy, so is often grown in pots, protected in the winter. Various colour forms are available under cultivar names, e.g. 'Ruth' (pure white), 'Allbrighton' (pink) and 'Douglas' (red). Some other species, such as R. milloides, and hybrids with Hypoxis species are also grown. [2]

Cultivar plant or grouping of plants selected for desirable characteristics

A cultivar is an assemblage of plants selected for desirable characters that are maintained during propagation. More generally, a cultivar is the most basic classification category of cultivated plants in the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants (ICNCP). Most cultivars arose in cultivation, but a few are special selections from the wild.

<i>Hypoxis</i> genus of plants

Hypoxis is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Hypoxidaceae. The genus has an "almost cosmopolitan" distribution, occurring in Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Australia. Europe lacks native species. Most species are in the Southern Hemisphere, especially in southern Africa. Common names for the genus include star-grass, star lily, yellow stars, African potato, and stars. The genus is the largest of the Hypoxidaceae family and has its centre of variation in South Africa, where it occurs in open undisturbed grasslands. The name Hypoxis was taken over by Linnaeus in 1759 from a name coined by Paul Reneaulme in 1611 for a superficially similar species of Gagea and meaning "a little sour", referring to the taste of that plant's leaves.

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  1. Trachyandra acocksiiOberm. - Cape Province in South Africa
  2. Trachyandra adamsonii(Compton) Oberm. - Cape Province, Namibia
  3. Trachyandra affinisKunth - Cape Province, KwaZulu-Natal
  4. Trachyandra arenicolaJ.C.Manning & Goldblatt - Cape Province
  5. Trachyandra aridimontanaJ.C.Manning - Cape Province
  6. Trachyandra arvensis(Schinz) Oberm. - Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia
  7. Trachyandra asperataKunth - South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland
  8. Trachyandra brachypoda(Baker) Oberm. - Cape Province
  9. Trachyandra bulbinifolia(Dinter) Oberm. - Cape Province, Namibia
  10. Trachyandra burkei(Baker) Oberm. - Botswana, Limpopo, Free State, Cape Province
  11. Trachyandra capillata(Poelln.) Oberm. - KwaZulu-Natal
  12. Trachyandra chlamydophylla(Baker) Oberm. - Cape Province
  13. Trachyandra ciliata(L.f.) Kunth - Cape Province, Namibia
  14. Trachyandra dissectaOberm. - Cape Province
  15. Trachyandra divaricata(Jacq.) Kunth - Cape Province; naturalized in Australia
  16. Trachyandra ensifolia (Sölch) Roessler - Namibia
  17. Trachyandra erythrorrhiza(Conrath) Oberm. - Gauteng
  18. Trachyandra esterhuysenaeOberm. - Cape Province
  19. Trachyandra falcata(L.f.) Kunth - Cape Province, Namibia
  20. Trachyandra filiformis(Aiton) Oberm. - Cape Province
  21. Trachyandra flexifolia(L.f.) Kunth - Cape Province
  22. Trachyandra gerrardii(Baker) Oberm. - Swaziland, South Africa
  23. Trachyandra giffenii(F.M.Leight.) Oberm. - Cape Province
  24. Trachyandra glandulosa(Dinter) Oberm. - Namibia
  25. Trachyandra gracilentaOberm. - Cape Province
  26. Trachyandra hantamensisBoatwr. & J.C.Manning - Cape Province
  27. Trachyandra hirsuta(Thunb.) Kunth - Cape Province
  28. Trachyandra hirsutiflora(Adamson) Oberm. - Cape Province
  29. Trachyandra hispida(L.) Kunth - Cape Province
  30. Trachyandra involucrata(Baker) Oberm. - Cape Province
  31. Trachyandra jacquiniana(Schult. & Schult.f.) Oberm. - Cape Province
  32. Trachyandra kamiesbergensisBoatwr. & J.C.Manning - Cape Province
  33. Trachyandra karrooicaOberm. - Cape Province, Namibia
  34. Trachyandra lanata(Dinter) Oberm. - Namibia
  35. Trachyandra laxa(N.E.Br.) Oberm. - South Africa, Namibia, Botswana
  36. Trachyandra malosana(Baker) Oberm. - Malawi to Zimbabwe
  37. Trachyandra mandrarensis(H.Perrier) Marais & Reilly - Madagascar
  38. Trachyandra margaretaeOberm. - Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal
  39. Trachyandra montanaJ.C.Manning & Goldblatt - Cape Province
  40. Trachyandra muricata(L.f.) Kunth - Cape Province, Namibia
  41. Trachyandra oligotricha(Baker) Oberm. - Cape Province
  42. Trachyandra paniculataOberm. - Cape Province
  43. Trachyandra patensOberm. - Cape Province
  44. Trachyandra peculiaris(Dinter) Oberm. - Namibia
  45. Trachyandra proliferaP.L.Perry - Cape Province
  46. Trachyandra pyrenicarpa(Welw. ex Baker) Oberm. Huíla Province in Angola
  47. Trachyandra revoluta(L.) Kunth - Cape Province, Namibia
  48. Trachyandra sabulosa(Adamson) Oberm. - Cape Province
  49. Trachyandra saltii(Baker) Oberm. - eastern + southern Africa from Ethiopia to Cape Province; Yemen
  50. Trachyandra sanguinorhizaBoatwr. & J.C.Manning - Cape Province
  51. Trachyandra scabra(L.f.) Kunth - Cape Province
  52. Trachyandra smallianaHilliard & B.L.Burtt - Cape Province, KwaZulu-Natal
  53. Trachyandra tabularis(Baker) Oberm. - Cape Province
  54. Trachyandra thyrsoidea(Baker) Oberm. - Cape Province
  55. Trachyandra tortilis(Baker) Oberm. - Cape Province
  56. Trachyandra triquetraThulin - Somalia
  57. Trachyandra zebrina(Schltr. ex Poelln.) Oberm. - Cape Province
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Wurmbea is a genus of perennial herbs in the family Colchicaceae, native to Africa and Australia. There are about 50 species, with about half endemic to each continent.

Prosphytochloa is a genus of African plants in the grass family. The only known species is Prosphytochloa prehensilis, native to Eastern Cape Province, KwaZulu-Natal, Swaziland, Mpumalanga, and Limpopo.

Tenrhynea is a genus of Southern African plants in the pussy's-toes tribe within the sunflower family.

Harpochloa is a genus of African plants in the grass family, common name caterpillar grass.

  1. Harpochloa falx(L.f.) Kuntze - Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Lesotho, Gauteng, Swaziland, Free State, Mpumalanga
  2. Harpochloa pseudoharpechloa(Chiov.) Clayton - Zaïre, Zambia, Angola
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<i>Eucomis bicolor</i> species of 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 plant

Eucomis pallidiflora 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>Empodium</i> genus of plants

Empodium is a genus of flowering plants in the family Hypoxidaceae, first described in 1866. It grows from a small corm which produces lance-shaped or pleated and sometimes hairy, star-shaped flowers and leaves with 10–30 centimetres (4–12 in) long in Autumn season. The genus is native to winter-rainfall areas in South Africa, Swaziland, Lesotho, and Namibia.

  1. Empodium elongatum(Nel) B.L.Burtt - Lesotho, Swaziland, Lesotho
  2. Empodium flexile(Nel) M.F.Thomps. ex Snijman - Cape Province
  3. Empodium gloriosum(Nel) B.L.Burtt - Cape Province
  4. Empodium monophyllum(Nel) B.L.Burtt - KwaZulu-Natal, Swaziland
  5. Empodium namaquensis(Baker) M.F.Thomps. - Cape Province
  6. Empodium plicatum(Thunb.) Garside - Cape Province
  7. Empodium veratrifolium(Willd.) M.F.Thomps. - Cape Province
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Saniella is a flowering plant genus in the family Hypoxidaceae, native to South Africa and Lesotho. Two species are recognised:

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Acrotome is a genus of plants in the Lamiaceae, first described in 1838. The genus is native to the southern part of Africa.

References

  1. "Rhodohypoxis", World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew , retrieved 2013-07-30
  2. 1 2 Mathew, Brian (1987), The Smaller Bulbs, London: B.T. Batsford, ISBN   978-0-7134-4922-8 , pp. 145–146
  3. "Search for Rhodohypoxis", World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew , retrieved 2013-07-30