Albuca Spiralis
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Flowering Plants of Africa A magazine containing colour plates with descriptions of flowering plants of Africa and neighbouring islands Edited by G. Germishuizen with assistance of E. du Plessis and G.S. Condy Volume 62 Pretoria 2011 Editorial Board A. Nicholas University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, RSA D.A. Snijman South African National Biodiversity Institute, Cape Town, RSA Referees and other co-workers on this volume H.J. Beentje, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK D. Bridson, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK P. Burgoyne, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, RSA J.E. Burrows, Buffelskloof Nature Reserve & Herbarium, Lydenburg, RSA C.L. Craib, Bryanston, RSA G.D. Duncan, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Cape Town, RSA E. Figueiredo, Department of Plant Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, RSA H.F. Glen, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Durban, RSA P. Goldblatt, Missouri Botanical Garden, St Louis, Missouri, USA G. Goodman-Cron, School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, RSA D.J. Goyder, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK A. Grobler, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, RSA R.R. Klopper, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, RSA J. Lavranos, Loulé, Portugal S. Liede-Schumann, Department of Plant Systematics, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany J.C. Manning, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Cape Town, RSA A. Nicholas, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, RSA R.B. Nordenstam, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden B.D. Schrire, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK P. Silveira, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal H. Steyn, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, RSA P. Tilney, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, RSA E.J. van Jaarsveld, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Cape Town, RSA A.E. van Wyk, Department of Plant Science, University of Pretoria, RSA J.E. Victor, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, RSA J. Vlok, Oudtshoorn, RSA W.G. Welman, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, RSA Date of publication of Volume 61 Plates 2241–2260 . 2 June 2009 Next volume Volume 63 is likely to appear in 2013.—The Editor ISSN 0015-4504 ISBN 978-1-919976-61-7 ii Contents Volume 62 2261. Baeometra uniflora. J.C. Manning, P. Goldblatt and Gillian Condy ............ 2 2262. Aloe neilcrouchii. G.F. Smith, N.R. Crouch, R.R. Klopper and Gillian Condy ..... 10 2263. Aloe nicholsii. N.R. Crouch, G.F. Smith and Gillian Condy .................. 16 2264. Prototulbaghia siebertii. C.G. Vosa, A.E. van Wyk, S.J. Siebert and Gillian Condy... 22 2265. Albuca spiralis. J.C. Manning and Gillian Condy.......................... 30 2266. Dioscorea dregeana. P. Wilkin and Gillian Condy ......................... 36 2267. Gladiolus cataractarum. P. Goldblatt, J.C. Manning and Gillian Condy......... 44 2268. Ficus sur. J.E. Burrows and Gillian Condy . 48 2269. Brabejum stellatifolium. E.J. van Jaarsveld and Gillian Condy................ 56 2270. Jensenobotrya lossowiana. E.J. van Jaarsveld, A.E. van Wyk and Jeanette Loedolff... 64 2271. Tylosema fassoglense. L.A. Coetzer, A.E. van Wyk and Elise Buitendag . ..... 70 2272. Millettia grandis. A. Grobler and Gillian Condy .......................... 80 2273. Plumbago hunsbergensis. E.J. van Jaarsveld, W. Swanepoel, A.E. van Wyk and Vicki Thomas ................................................... 88 2274. Strophanthus speciosus. S.P. Bester and Gillian Condy . 94 2275. Xysmalobium pedifoetidum. S.P. Bester, A. Nicholas and Gillian Condy . 100 2276. Asclepias albens & A. macropus. S.P. Bester and Gillian Condy ............... 110 2277. Barleria macrostegia. H. Steyn and Gillian Condy ........................ 120 2278. Sclerochiton triacanthus. N.R. Crouch, D. McMurtry and Angela J. Beaumont ... 126 2279. Pavetta zeyheri subsp. zeyheri. P.P.J. Herman and Jenny Hyde-Johnson ........ 134 2280. Tripteris aghillana var. aghillana. P.P.J. Herman, N. Swelankomo and Gillian Condy.. 140 Guide for authors and artists . 147 Index to Volume 62 . 151 New taxa published in this volume Plumbago hunsbergensis Van Jaarsv., W.Swanepoel & A.E.van Wyk, sp. nov., p. 89 Xysmalobium pedifoetidum Bester & Nicholas, sp. nov., p. 100 iii This volume is dedicated to BRIAN JOHN HUNTLEY First Chief Executive Officer of the Natio - nal Botanical Institute, and later Acting Chief Executive Officer of the South African National Biodiversity Institute. Before that he was employed by the Foundation for Research Development, from which base in the late 1980s he played a pivotal role in establishing the Plant Systematics Stimulation Pro- gramme. As part of the Programme, 25 national and regional activities were arranged and attended by dozens of taxo nomists. The courses were mostly aimed at developing human capital in, and rejuvenating, this critically impor- tant area of scientific endeavour. One of the initial activities, and the first field trip that took place under the auspices of the Stimulation Programme, was a joint collecting expedition to the vicinity of the Noodsberg highland range in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands. One of the species treated and illustrated in this volume (Aloe neilcrouchii) was new to science and first collected and recorded during that historic expedition. Later, while Brian headed the National Botanical Institute, the vision for the Systematics Stimulation Programme expanded significantly into the SABONET Project, which more broadly benefited conservation, taxonomy and horticulture throughout the subcontinent, and beyond. During a career spanning over 40 years Professor Huntley made numerous visionary contributions to biodiversity conservation, the development of botany, horti- culture, and botanical art in southern Africa, and influenced the careers of scores of biodiversity specialists. PLATE 2261 Baeometra uniflora Flowering Plants of Africa 62: 2–9 (2011) 3 Baeometra uniflora Colchicaceae: Anguillarieae South Africa Baeometra uniflora (Jacq.) G.J.Lewis in South African Journal of Botany 7: 59 (1941). Melanthium uniflorum Jacq.: 100 (1791). Kolbea uniflora (Jacq.) Harv.: 354 (1838). M. aethiopicum Desr. in Lam.: 29 (1797). B. columellaris Salisb.: 330 (1812), nom. illegit. superfl. pro M. uniflorum Jacq. M. flavum Smith in Rees (1819), nom. illegit. superfl. pro M. uniflorum Jacq. Kolbea breyniana Schltdl.: 82 (1826), nom. illegit. superfl. pro. M. uniflorum Jacq. Jania breyniana (Schltdl.) Schult.f.: 1528 (1830), nom. illegit. Baeometra breyniana (Schltdl.) Voigt: 647 (1845), nom. illegit. B. breyniana (Schltdl.) Baill.: 588 (1894), nom. illegit. Brilliant orange or sulphur-yellow flowers with a dark eye make the beetle lily, Baeometra uniflora, instantly recognisable among all other Colchicaceae. Endemic to the extreme southwestern Cape, this little geophyte is relatively commonly encountered on clay or loamy soils in spring, from Tulbagh southwards through the Swartland and Boland to the Cape Peninsula and thence eastwards through the Overberg as far as Swellendam and Riversdale (Figure 1). Plants favour open, season- ally damp or waterlogged situations and are often found in lightly disturbed areas on road verges, along paths and in meadows, typically at lower altitudes in moist- temperate situations. Flowering is from August to October. Its readiness to colonise road verges and lawns makes the species an attractive subject for cultivation in suit- able climates but does suggest a propensity for naturalisation unless carefully con- trolled, as it has indeed already done in Western Australia (Hewson 1987). Baeometra uniflora, like all related cormous members of Colchicaceae tribe Anguillarieae, is adapted to sea- sonal drought. In nature, the plants sprout in winter with the onset of the rainy season, coming into flower in spring. The flowers are sensitive to temperature, opening fully only on warm, sunny days, when their bright colour and contrasting dark eye are especially striking. Each flower lasts several days, after which the tepals drop off to expose the rapidly enlarg- FIGURE 1.—Known distribution of Baeometra uni- ing ovary. The capsules mature slowly flora, based on specimens in the Compton and are ready to shed seeds only in late Herbarium, Kirstenbosch, and on additional summer (December). Like most mem- material cited by Baker (1897). PLATE 2261.—1, flowering stem, × 1; 2, whole plant with corm, × 1; 3, top view of flattened flower, × 1; 4, capsules and seeds, × 1. Voucher specimen: Manning 3190 in Compton Herbarium, Kirstenbosch. Artist: Gillian Condy. 4 Flowering Plants of Africa 62 (2011) bers of the family, the woody fruits are septicidally dehiscent, splitting open along the joints between the locules. They dehisce only in the upper quarter, and the seeds are thus shed slowly over a long period of time as the dry stalks are shaken by the summer winds. The flowers resemble those of several other geophytes in the south- western Cape in their colour and markings, especially Ixia curta and I. maculata (Iridaceae) and Ornithogalum dubium (Hyacinthaceae). These spe- cies are among several in the Cape that are adapted to pollination by monkey- beetles (Scarabaeidae: Hopliini), which are drawn to the dark markings on the perianth, presumably by their resem- blance to a potential mate (Goldblatt et al. 1998). The relatively large size of the flowers of Baeometra, their firm- textured, yellow or orange perianth with maroon centre, and their lack of fragrance or nectar