Asparagaceae

Dipcadi Medik.

First published in Hist. & Commentat. Acad. Elect. Sci. Theod.-Palat. 6: 431 (1790)
This genus is accepted
The native range of this genus is S. Europe to Indian Subcontinent, Africa.

Descriptions

Hyacinthaceae, Brita Stedje, Ph.D.. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1996

Morphology General Habit
Bulb often extended into a neck
Morphology Leaves
Leaves 1 or many, base free or clasping the scape; blade smooth, rarely pubescent, filiform to lanceolate, margin smooth, rarely undulate, ciliate or with minute teeth
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Scape
Scapes 1-3, smooth, rarely pubescent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a raceme; pedicels smooth, rarely pubescent, erect in bud and fruit, recurved in flower; bracts linear, lanceolate to ovate, ± acuminate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers yellow-green, green, green-brown or brown
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Perianth
Perianth-segments fused 1/4- 1/2 of their length, forming a tube; outer segments spreading outwards from near the middle, apex cucullate with glands, sometimes extended into a short to long caudate appendage; inner segments without caudate appendages, erect with only the upper part recurved, usually connivent, forming a tube inside the outer segments
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Filaments
Filaments flattened, inserted at the top of the tube
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary sessile or with a short carpophore; many ovules per locule; style as long as the ovary
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule sessile or shortly stalked
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds black, flattened, subcircular.
[FTEA]

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

Morphology Leaves
Leaves produced at the same time as the flowers, linear to linear-lanceolate, glabrous or pubescent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a few- to many-flowered, often 1-sided raceme; rhachis drooping in bud, becoming erect during anthesis; bracts soon falling or persistent, not spurred; pedicels short to long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Tepal
Tepals usually dull green or brown, falling off after flowering, united at the base, the 3 inner erect, the 3 outer usually spreading and often with a tail-like appendage at the tip
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 6, united to tepals at the base, included
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary 3-celled with several ovules per cell; style short or long with terminal stigma
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule ovoid
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds black, flat, rounded in outline.
Distribution
Some 40 species in Africa, Madagascar, the Mediterranean Region, and eastwards to India.
[FSOM]

Stedje, B. & Kativu, S. (2023). Hyacinthaceae. In: M.A. García & B.F.P. Loeuille (eds), Flora Zambesiaca, Vol. 13(3). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Morphology General Habit
Plants with small bulbs and slender roots
Morphology Leaves
Basal leaves overlapping or vaginate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a lax raceme on solitary peduncle; pedicels erect in bud, pendulous at anthesis, erect in fruit
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers green or brown, occasionally yellowish, reddish, brownish or white at tips of inner tepals; tepals united for ⅓ to ⅔ their length, lobes reflexed, outer ones sometimes with long, tail-like appendages, inner ones without
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Filaments
Filaments flat, inserted in perianth tube; anthers large
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary oblong, sessile or stipitate, locules c.20- ovulate; style short or ± as long as ovary
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule 3-angled; seeds compressed, orbicular, black.
Distribution
A genus of c.30 species, distributed from the W Mediterranean to central Asia, Arabia, Madagascar, Socotra, India and throughout tropical and subtropical Africa, with its centre of diversity in South Africa. Nine species in the Flora area.
[FZ]

Sources

  • 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

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images

  • 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/