Asparagaceae
Drimiopsis

Drimiopsis botryoides Baker

First published in J. Bot. 12: 364 (1874)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is S. Ethiopia to N. Mozambique. It is a bulbous geophyte and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

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

Morphology General Habit
Plants up to 60 cm.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves cordate or lanceolate, spotted or unspotted, up to 45 cm. long and 1.5-7.5 cm. wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence spicate or racemose; pedicels up to 3 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Perianth
Perianth-segments white to greenish white, elliptic, up to 6 mm. long; outer segments spreading, inner ones connivent and usually wider than the outer.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Filaments
Filaments flattened, triangular and united with the perianth-segments at their base.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary 1-2 mm. long; style slender and ± as long as the ovary.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule subglobose, ± 5 mm., with 1-2 seeds.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds 2-4 mm.
Habitat
In bushland and woodland on sandy soils, often among rocks; 0-1600 m.
Distribution
K1 K4 K7 P T1 T2 T3 T5 T6 T7 T8 Z
[FTEA]

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

Morphology Leaves
Leaves erect to ± flat on the ground, ovate to broadly elliptic, narrowing below into a petiole-like base, up to 18 x 8 cm or more, spotted
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a dense spike-like raceme; peduncles erect or ± curved, to 15 cm or more long; pedicels c. 1 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Tepal
Tepals c. 3–6 mm long, greenish-white, the outer spreading, the inner erect
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Filaments
Filaments triangular
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary subglobose; style c. 1 mm long, deciduous
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule subglobose-obovoid, 3-angled, c. 4–5 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds c. 3–4 mm long.
Distribution
S1–3 East Africa.
Ecology
Altitude range 60–500 m.
[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.

Type
Type: Eastern Africa “Africa orient”, no locality, n.d., Blackburn s.n. (K holotype).
Morphology General Habit
Plant to 30 cm high
Vegetative Multiplication Bulbs
Bulb c.40 × 25 mm
Morphology Leaves
Leaves usually three or more, narrowing towards base, sometimes pseudopetiolate, c.11 (including pseudopetiole) × 5 cm, glabrous, margin smooth
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence overtopping leaves; pedicels c.1 mm long in flower
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Tepal
Tepals white, segments c.4 mm long, incurved, with hooded apex, inner segments connivent, outer slightly spreading
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsules and seeds not seen.
Distribution
Mozambique. Also in Kenya, Tanzania, Somalia and Ethiopia.
Ecology
In woodland; c.600 m.
Conservation
Widespread across Eastern Africa but in the Flora area known from just one locality; possibly Near Threatened.
Note
This taxon differs from the prostrate northern Tanzanian endemic subsp. prostrata Stedje in its erect habit.
[FZ]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • 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

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. 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 2024. 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