Family:
Iridaceae Juss.

Crocosmia Planch.

This genus is accepted, and its native range is Sudan to S. Africa, Madagascar.

[FTEA]

Iridaceae, Peter Goldblatt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1996

Morphology General Habit
Perennials with large persistent corms with fibrous tunics
Morphology Leaves
Leaves several, the lower 2-3 sheathing the base (cataphylls); foliage leaves plane or plicate, mostly basal, the cauline much reduced
Morphology Stem
Stem terete, usually branched
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a spike, usually inclined or horizontal; bracts coriaceous, fairly short, the inner ± as long as the outer
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers shades of orange to reddish, actinomorphic to strongly zygomorphic with stamens then arched under the upper tepal, this sometimes much larger than the others; tube cylindric, funnel-shaped or dimorphic curved
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Style exserted, the branches filiform or apically broadened, entire or notched apically
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsules globose to depressed and 3-lobed, ± coriaceous
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds globose, smooth or lightly wrinkled, few per locule.

[FZ]

Iridaceae, P. Goldblatt. Flora Zambesiaca 12:4. 1993

Morphology General Habit
Perennial herbs with large corms, aerial parts dying back annually; corms with fibrous tunics.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves several, the lower 2–3 sheathing the stem base (cataphylls); foliage leaves plane or plicate, mostly basal, cauline leaves much reduced.
Morphology Stem
Stem terete, usually branched.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a spike, usually inclined or horizontal; floral bracts coriaceous, fairly short, the inner about as long as the outer.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flower colours in shades of orange to reddish, actinomorphic to strongly zygomorphic with stamens arched under the upper tepal, this sometimes much larger than the others, perianth tube cylindric, funnel-shaped or curved with a narrow cylindrical lower portion and a broad cylindrical upper portion.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Style exserted, the branches filiform or apically broadened, entire or notched at the apex.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsules globose to depressed and 3-lobed, more or less coriaceous; seeds globose, hard and shiny, few per locule.

Native to:

Angola, Burundi, Cape Provinces, Central African Repu, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Northern Provinces, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, Zaïre, Zimbabwe

Introduced into:

Alabama, Argentina Northeast, Assam, Austria, Azores, Bolivia, Colombia, Czechoslovakia, Dominican Republic, Fiji, France, Great Britain, Haiti, Hawaii, Honduras, Ireland, Jamaica, Japan, Korea, Madeira, Mexico Central, Mexico Southwest, Norfolk Is., Portugal, Puerto Rico, Rwanda, Spain, Tristan da Cunha, Venezuela

Crocosmia Planch. appears in other Kew resources:

Date Reference Identified As Barcode Type Status
Coode, M. [3961], Mauritius 33634.000

First published in Fl. Serres Jard. Eur. 7: 161 (1851)

Accepted by

  • Govaerts, R. (1999). World Checklist of Seed Plants 3(1, 2a & 2b): 1-1532. MIM, Deurne.

Literature

Flora Zambesiaca

  • de Vos in J. S. African Bot. 50: 463–502 (1984).
  • in Fl. Serres Jard. Eur. 7: 161 cum tab. (1851).

Flora of Tropical East Africa

  • M.P. de Vos in Journ. S. Afr. Bot. 50: 463-502 (1984)
  • in Fl. Serres Jard. Europe 7: 161 (1851)

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    Flora Zambesiaca
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    Flora of Tropical East Africa
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0