Family:
Asparagaceae Juss.

Chlorophytum Ker Gawl.

This genus is accepted, and its native range is Trop & Subtropical Old World.

[FZ]

Flora Zambesiaca Anthericaceae by S. Kativu, G. Hoell, C.S. Bjorå & I. Nordal

Morphology General Habit
Perennial geophytic rhizomatous herbs. Plants very variable in size and robustness, 5–150 cm high.
Vegetative Multiplication Rhizomes
Rhizome reduced or prominent, sometimes moniliform (consisting of attached corms in a chain), often bearing fibrous remains of old leaf bases.
Morphology Roots
Roots thick to thin and wiry with or without tubers.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves (with few exceptions) in a basal rosette or in 2 rows, appearing with the inflorescence (rarely afterwards), linear (rarely filiform) to broadly lanceolate, sometimes narrowed towards the base to a pseudopetiole, glabrous or pubescent; margins glabrous, scabrid, to ciliate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Peduncles
Peduncles central or axillary, reduced or elongated up to 150 cm, terete or ± flat, and then with wings, glabrous or pubescent, leafless or with ± bractlike leaves.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence spicate, racemose or paniculate, always multibracteate at nodes, the floral bracts unequal, 1–9 flowers per node, mostly more than 1. Pedicels mostly with a distinct joint (articulated). Flowers open, star-shaped with exposed ovary, urceolate (tepals joined at the base) to bell-shaped with ovary enclosed; tepals generally white, sometimes pink, green, yellow or brownish, colours often restricted to stripes on the outside; outer tepals slightly narrower than inner.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens straight or curved down; filaments filiform or fusiform, glabrous or papillate, longer or shorter than anthers.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary sessile, rarely stipitate; style curved down or straight; stigma punctate to slightly capitate, minutely papillose.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule rounded or triangular to deeply 3-lobed in cross-section, with 3-valved loculicidal opening.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds black, disk-shaped, saucer-shaped to irregularly folded.
Ecology
An Old World tropical to subtropical genus with c.150 species in Africa, SE Asia and Australia, with the centre of diversity in tropical Africa; 56 species in the Flora Zambesiaca area. One species, Chlorophytum comosum (Thunb.) Jacques, is often cultivated, especially a form with variegated leaves and small plantlets at the inflorescence nodes ('Spider Plant').

[FSOM]

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology Roots
Roots often with tubers
Morphology Leaves
Leaves linear to ovate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence simple or branched, with flowers often more than 1 at each node or, if only 1, then supported by 2 bracts; peduncle with or without leaves or sterile bracts; pedicels usually articulated
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Stigma
Stigma terminal, small
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule 3-angled or ± deeply 3-lobed
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds thin, flat or folded.
Distribution
Large genus mainly in the Old World tropics.

[FTEA]

Anthericaceae, Nordal (University of Oslo), Shakkie Kativu (University of Zimbabwe) & Axel D. Poulsen (University of Copenhagen). Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1997

Morphology General Habit
Plants very variable in size and robustness, from 5 cm. to more than 1 m.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves in a basal rosette, rosulate or distichous, linear to broadly lanceolate, sometimes narrowed towards the base to a petiole
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence spicate, racemose or paniculate, with multibracteate nodes Pedicels, with very few exceptions, with a distinct joint (articulated), sometimes only one at each node, but in most species several (multi-nate) Peduncles reduced or elongated up to 50 cm., leafless or with ± bract-like leaves
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers open, star-shaped, urceolate to almost bell-shaped
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Tepal
Tepals white to yellowish green, with or without greenish or reddish stripes on the outside
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens straight or declinate; filaments filiform or fusiform, glabrous or papillate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary sessile, rarely stipitate; style declinate or straight
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule, ± triangular (trigonous) to deeply 3-lobed (triquetrous) in cross-section
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds thin, flat or sharply folded.
Vegetative Multiplication Rhizomes
Rhizome reduced or prominent, sometimes moniliform (that is consisting of a series of attached corms in a chain); roots either swollen without tubers or ± wiry with distinct tubers Rhizome reduced or prominent, sometimes moniliform (that is consisting of a series of attached corms in a chain); roots either swollen without tubers or ± wiry with distinct tubers

Native to:

Angola, Assam, Bangladesh, Benin, Borneo, Botswana, Burkina, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Provinces, Caprivi Strip, Central African Repu, Chad, China South-Central, China Southeast, Congo, East Himalaya, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Free State, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Gulf of Guinea Is., Hainan, India, Ivory Coast, Jawa, Kenya, KwaZulu-Natal, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaya, Mali, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Northern Provinces, Northern Territory, Oman, Queensland, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Socotra, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Sumatera, Swaziland, Tanzania, Tasmania, Thailand, Tibet, Togo, Uganda, Vietnam, Western Australia, Yemen, Zambia, Zaïre, Zimbabwe

Introduced into:

Andaman Is., Azores, Ecuador, Juan Fernández Is., Korea, Madeira, Marianas, Mauritius, Mexico Central, Mexico Gulf, Mexico Northeast, Mexico Northwest, Mexico Southeast, Mexico Southwest, Nauru, New South Wales, New Zealand North, Norfolk Is., Réunion, Seychelles, St.Helena, Tristan da Cunha, Tunisia

Chlorophytum Ker Gawl. appears in other Kew resources:

Date Reference Identified As Barcode Type Status
Jan 1, 2010 Tchouto (Mbatchou), P. [445], Cameroon K000542351
Aug 1, 2002 Mackinder, B. [307 B], Cameroon K000008008
Polhill, R. [384], Kenya 1268.000
Wild, H. [2280], Zimbabwe 15163.000
Wild, H. [27079], Zimbabwe 15164.000
Drummond, R.B. [3584], Tanzania 15165.000
Rayner, R.W. [282], Kenya 16700.000
Rayner, R.W. [284], Kenya 16701.000
16712.000
Rayner, R.W. [439], Kenya 2401.000
Gillett, J.B. [14109], Kenya 2402.000
Verdcourt, B. [138], Tanzania 2403.000
Verdcourt, B. [388], Kenya 2404.000
Napier, E.R. [3565], Kenya 2405.000
Wild, H. [35275], Zimbabwe 2406.000
Cruse, A.W. [428], Zambia 2407.000
Gillett, J.B. [13968], Kenya 2408.000
Rayner, R.W. [424], Kenya 2409.000
Drummond, R.B. [1478], Tanzania 2410.000
Napier, E.R. [3564], Kenya 2411.000
Drummond, R.B. [4435], Kenya 2412.000
Gillett, J.B. [12819], Kenya 2413.000
Polhill, R. [795], Kenya 3692.000
Tweedie, E.M. [2135], Kenya 3694.000
Keay, R.W.J. [25913], Nigeria 4440.000
Wild, H. [44550], Zimbabwe 4441.000
Wild, H. [40798], Zimbabwe 4442.000
Tanner, R. [476], Tanzania 4443.000
Verdcourt, B. [477], Kenya 4444.000
Chandler, P. [2138], Uganda 4445.000
Wild, H. [3953], Zimbabwe 5446.000
Rayner [342], Kenya 5447.000
Bally, P.R.O. [8186], Kenya 5448.000
Dawkins, H.C. [367], Uganda 5449.000
Wild, H. [2277], Zimbabwe 5452.000
Harris, D.J. [2460], Cameroon 60036.000

First published in Bot. Mag. 27: t. 1071 (1807)

Accepted by

  • Govaerts, R. (1999). World Checklist of Seed Plants 3(1, 2a & 2b): 1-1532. MIM, Deurne.
  • Meerts, P. & Bjorå, C.S. (2012). Synopsis of the genus Chlorophytum (Asparagaceae) in Central Africa (Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Burundi) Plant ecology and evolution 145: 373-409.

Literature

Flora of West Tropical Africa

  • F.T.A. 7: 493.
  • in Bot. Mag. t. 1071 (1807)

Flora Zambesiaca

  • in Bot. Mag. 27: t.107 (1807), amended Kativu & Nordal in Nordic J. Bot. 13: 61 (1993).
  • in F.T.A. 7: 493 (1898).
  • ―Baker in J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 15: 321 (1876);
  • ―Bjorå, Hoell, Kativu & Nordal in Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 157: 223–238 (2008).
  • ―Krause in Engler & Prantl, Nat. Pflanzenfam., ed.2 15a: 284 (1930).
  • ―Marais & Reilly in Kew Bull. 32: 653 (1978).
  • ―Nordal, Eriksen & Fosby in Mitt. Inst. Allg. Bot. Hamburg 23b: 535 (1990).
  • ―Obermeyer in Bothalia 7: 690 (1962).
  • ―Stedje & Nordal in Seyani & Chikuni, Proc. 12th AETFAT Congress: 513–524 (1994).

Flora of Somalia

  • Flora Somalia, Vol 4, (1995) Author: by M. Thulin [updated by M. Thulin 2008]

Flora of Tropical East Africa

  • Baker in F.T.A. 7: 493 (1898)
  • Kativu & Nordal in Nordic Journ. Bot. 13: 59–65 (1993)
  • Marais & Reilly in K.B. 32: 653–663 (1978)
  • Nordal & Thulin in Nordic Journ. Bot. 13: 257–280 (1993)
  • Nordal et al. in Mitt. Inst. Allg. Bot. Hamburg 23: 535–559 (1990)
  • Oberm. in Bothalia 7: 690 (1962)
  • Stedje & Nordal in Seyani & Chikuni, Proc. XIII AETFAT, Malawi, 1991: 513–524 (1994)
  • emend. Nordal in Nordic Journ. Bot. 13: 61 (1993)
  • in Bot. Mag. 27, t. 1071 (1807)

  • Flora Zambesiaca

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

  • Flora of Somalia

    Flora of Somalia
    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

  • Plants and People Africa

    Common Names from Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com/
    © Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/