Scadoxus pseudocaulus

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Scadoxus pseudocaulus
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Amaryllidaceae
Subfamily: Amaryllidoideae
Genus: Scadoxus
Species:
S. pseudocaulus
Binomial name
Scadoxus pseudocaulus
(I.Bjørnstad & Friis) Friis & Nordal [1]
Synonyms [1]

Haemanthus pseudocaulusI.Bjørnstad & Friis

Scadoxus pseudocaulus is a herbaceous plant native to Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon and Gabon. Similar in many respects to Scadoxus cinnabarinus , it is cultivated as an ornamental plant but has proved reluctant to flower.

Contents

Description

Scadoxus pseudocaulus was shown to be closely related to Scadoxus cinnabarinus in a 1984 cladistic analysis based on morphological features. It is one of the group of Scadoxus species that grows from rhizomes alone rather than also having bulbs. [2] It differs from Scadoxus cinnabarinus mainly in having a pseudostem – a false stems produced by the tightly wrapped bases of the leaf stalks (petioles). [3] Another difference is that the free segments at the ends of the tepals (the basal parts of the tepals being fused into a tube) are narrower, with usually only three veins instead of five. [2] The flowers are arranged in a cone- or globe-shaped umbel of 20–50 individual flowers. [3]

Taxonomy

Scadoxus pseudocaulus was first collected for science in 1935. [3] It was first formally described as a separate species in 1972 by Inger Bjørnstad (née Nordal) and Ib Friis, as Haemanthus pseudocaulus. [1]

Scadoxus had been separated from Haemanthus by Constantine Samuel Rafinesque in 1838, [4] when he moved Haemanthus multiflorus to Scadoxus multiflorus . [5] This separation was ignored by most workers until 1976, when Scadoxus was again segregated from Haemanthus by Friis and Nordal, and Haemanthus pseudocaulus was transferred to Scadoxus pseudocaulus. [6]

Distribution and habitat

Scadoxus pseudocaulus occurs natively within the range of Scadoxus cinnabarinus but is less widespread, [3] being found only in southern Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon and Gabon. [1] It was collected growing near to sea level, and is found up to altitudes of 1,400 m (4,600 ft) in regions of high rainfall. [3]

Cultivation

Jonathan Hutchinson, the UK National Plant Collection holder for the genus, has described the cultivation of Scadoxus pseudocaulus. Although in many respects similar to Scadoxus cinnabarinus, it tolerates lower temperatures, with occasional drops to 5 °C (41 °F). The growing medium should be kept drier during the colder months. Plants in cultivation do not readily produce flowers. Some plants in cultivation as Scadoxus pseudocaulus have turned out to be different species of Scadoxus when they do eventually flower. Pests are those of Scadoxus generally. [3]

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

Haemanthus is a Southern African genus of flowering plants in the family Amaryllidaceae, subfamily Amaryllidoideae. Members of the genus are known as blood lily and paintbrush lily. There are some 22 known species, native to South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho and Eswatini. About 15 species occur in the winter rainfall region of Namaqualand and the Western Cape, the remainder being found in the summer rainfall region, with one species Haemanthus albiflos occurring in both regions.

<i>Scadoxus puniceus</i> Species of flowering plant

Scadoxus puniceus, commonly known as the paintbrush lily, is a species of bulbous plant. It is native to much of southern and eastern Africa: Ethiopia, Sudan, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Eswatini (Swaziland), and South Africa. Scadoxus puniceus can be found in cool, shady habitat such as ravines and forests, where it is often found in moist leaf litter. Other common names include snake lily, royal paintbrush, King-of-Candida, African blood lily (English), rooikwas (Afrikaans), isisphompho, and umgola (Zulu). There are nine species of Scadoxus of which three, S. puniceus, S. multiflorus and S.membranaceus, occur in South Africa.

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

Scadoxus is a genus of African and Arabian plants in the Amaryllis family, subfamily Amaryllidoideae. The English names blood lily or blood flower are used for some of the species. The genus has close affinities with Haemanthus. Species of Scadoxus are grown as ornamental plants for their brilliantly coloured flowers, either in containers or in the ground in frost-free climates. Although some species have been used in traditional medicine, they contain poisonous alkaloids.

Eremospatha is a genus of climbing flowering plants in the palm family found in tropical Africa. These rattans are uncommon in cultivation and poorly understood by taxonomists. Closely related to Laccosperma, they are differentiated by the near complete absence of bracts and bracteoles. The name is from Greek meaning "without a spathe".

Podococcus is a genus of palms found in tropical Africa. It includes two recognized species:

<i>Scadoxus cyrtanthiflorus</i> Species of flowering plant

Scadoxus cyrtanthiflorus is a herbaceous plant endemic to the Rwenzori Mountains of east tropical Africa. Unusually for the genus Scadoxus its tubular blooms are pendant. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental plant in heated greenhouses.

<i>Rangaeris</i> Genus of orchids

Rangaeris is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family, Orchidaceae, naive to sub-Saharan Africa.

Cuviera is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae native to tropical Africa. It was originally described by Augustin Pyramus de Candolle in 1807 and is named after the French naturalist Georges Cuvier.

<i>Scadoxus multiflorus</i> Species of flowering plant

Scadoxus multiflorus is a bulbous plant native to most of sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal to Somalia to South Africa. It is also native to Arabian Peninsula and to the Seychelles. It is naturalized in Mexico and in the Chagos Archipelago.It is also found in Indian peninsula. It is grown as an ornamental plant for its brilliantly coloured flowers, either in containers or in the ground in where the climate is suitable. There are three recognized subspecies. Strongly toxic like other Scadoxus species, it has been used as a component of arrow poisons and fishing poisons, as well as in traditional medicine. Common names, some of which are used for other species, include blood lily, ball lily, fireball lily, blood flower, Katherine-wheel, oxtongue lily, poison root and powderpuff lily.

Oncinotis glabrata grows as a climbing shrub or liana up to 50 metres (160 ft) long, with a stem diameter of up to 12 centimetres (4.7 in). Its fragrant flowers feature a yellow to greenish yellow corolla. Fruit consists of paired follicles, each up to 30 centimetres (12 in) long. Habitat is forests from sea-level to 2,200 metres (7,200 ft) altitude. Local medicinal uses include as a treatment for yaws sores. O. glabrata is found in Guinea, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, the Republic of Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Uganda, Tanzania and Angola.

<i>Scadoxus cinnabarinus</i> Species of flowering plant

Scadoxus cinnabarinus is a herbaceous plant from tropical rainforest in Africa. It is native to Western and Central Africa from Sierra Leone in the far west to Angola in the south. It has been reported from Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, Nigeria, Niger, Sierra Leone, Central African Republic, Cameroon, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, São Tomé, Zaire, Uganda, and Angola.

Scadoxus longifolius is a herbaceous plant from Zaire. It is only known from a single collection, and little information is available about it. It appears to be closely related to Scadoxus cinnabarinus, and Inger Nordal and Thomas Duncan suggested in 1984 that it may not be a distinct species.

<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.

Scadoxus nutans is a herbaceous plant endemic to southwest Ethiopia. Its red to pink flowers face downwards as the top of the flowering stem bends over, unlike any of the other species of Scadoxus. It grows mainly as an epiphyte in tropical mountain forests, which are disappearing, making the species vulnerable to extinction. It is sometimes cultivated as an ornamental plant.

<i>Scadoxus pole-evansii</i> Species of flowering plant

Scadoxus pole-evansii, commonly known as the Inyanga fireball, is a herbaceous plant endemic to mountains in east Zimbabwe. It was only discovered for science in 1960. Similar in many respects to the more widely grown Scadoxus multiflorus, it is cultivated as an ornamental plant.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Scadoxus pseudocaulus", World Checklist of Selected Plant Families , Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew , retrieved 2014-03-24
  2. 1 2 Nordal, I. & Duncan, T. (1984), "A cladistic analysis of Haemanthus and Scadoxus", Nordic Journal of Botany, 4 (2): 145–153, doi:10.1111/j.1756-1051.1984.tb01482.x
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Hutchinson, J. (2014), "Scadoxus of central and east Africa", The Plantsman, New Series, 13 (1): 36–42
  4. Rafinesque-Smaltz, C.S. (1838), Flora Telluriana, Philadelphia, part 4, p. 19 , retrieved 2014-03-25
  5. "Scadoxus multiflorus", World Checklist of Selected Plant Families , Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew , retrieved 2014-03-25
  6. Meerow, Alan W. & Clayton, Jason R. (2004), "Generic relationships among the baccate-fruited Amaryllidaceae (tribe Haemantheae) inferred from plastid and nuclear non-coding DNA sequences", Plant Systematics and Evolution, 244 (3–4): 141–155, doi:10.1007/s00606-003-0085-z, S2CID   10245220