Compilation
Bulbine unifolia

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Name

Identification
Bulbine unifolia Schult.f. ex Baker [family ERIOSPERMACEAE ] Eriospermum abyssinicum Baker [family ERIOSPERMACEAE ] (stored under name);
Related name
  • Bulbine unifolia
  • Eriospermum abyssinicum

Flora

Entry for ERIOSPERMUM abyssinicum Baker [family ERIOSPERMACEAE]
Herbarium
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (K)
Collection
Flora of Tropical East Africa
Resource Type
Reference Sources
Entry From
Flora of Tropical East Africa, page 1, (1996) Author: Christopher Whitehouse, B.A.
Names
ERIOSPERMUM abyssinicum Baker [family ERIOSPERMACEAE], in J.L.S. 15: 263 (1876) & in F.T.A. 7: 471 (1898); Bullock et al. in K.B. 1933: 98 (1933); Polhill in Journ. E. Afr. Nat. Hist. Soc. 24: 19 (1962); F.W.T.A., ed. 2, 3: 94, fig. 350 (1968); Moriarty, Wild Fl. Malawi: 29, t. 15/1 (1975); Vollesen in Opera Bot. 59: 89 (1980); Champl. & Maquet in Fl. Rwanda 4: 48 (1987); U.K.W.F., ed. 2: 313, t. 142 (1994); P.L. Perry in Contr. Bolus Herb. 17: 80 (1994). Lectotype, chosen by P.L. Perry (1994): Ethiopia, Gallabat, Gendua, Schweinfurth 26 (K, lecto.!, BM!, G, isolecto.)
Bulbine unifolia Schweinf. [family ASPHODELACEAE], Pl. Gallab. Exsic. No. 26 (1865), nomen nudum, name only on herbarium specimen
ERIOSPERMUM fleckii Schinz [family ERIOSPERMACEAE], in Bull. Herb. Boiss., sér. 1, 4, App. 3: 37 (1896). Type: Namibia, Rehoboth, Fleck 887 (Z, holo.)
ERIOSPERMUM luteorubrum Baker [family ERIOSPERMACEAE], in Fl. Cap. 6: 372 (1896). Lectotype, chosen here: South Africa, Transvaal, Barberton, summit of Saddleback Range, Galpin 528 (K, lecto.!, BOL, PRE, SAM, Z, isolecto.)
ERIOSPERMUM burchellii Baker [family ERIOSPERMACEAE], in Fl. Cap. 6: 372 (1896). Lectotype, chosen by P.L. Perry (1994): South Africa, Griqualand West, near the Asbestos Mountains, between Wittewater and Rietfontein, Burchell 2008 (K, lecto.!)
ERIOSPERMUM elatum Baker [family ERIOSPERMACEAE], in F.T.A. 7: 471 (1898). Lectotype, chosen by P.L. Perry (1994): Zambia, Urungu, Carson 16 (K, lecto.!)
ERIOSPERMUM schinzii Engl. & K. Krause [family ERIOSPERMACEAE], in E.J. 45: 140 (1910), nom. illegit., non Baker (1904). Type: Namibia, Grootfontein, Dinter 923 (SAM, iso.)
Information
Plants (4-)11-62 cm. (see note), usually flowering before the leaves. Tuber depressed-globose, up to 4.2 cm. long, 4 cm. wide; skin dark brown, thick, rough and flaky; flesh tough, corky, white. Old leaf-sheaths up to 6 cm. long. Leaf solitary, erect; sheath exserted up to 13 cm., 1-2 mm. diameter, terete, straight or slightly coiled, purple at the base, becoming glaucous towards the blade; blade narrowly lanceolate to falcate, cuneate, acuminate, mucronate, 5.5-14(-19) cm. long, up to 1.7 cm. wide, glaucous green, coriaceous, with prominent parallel veins, margins thickened or involute. Peduncle 2.5-18(-40) cm. long, up to 3 mm. diameter, dark red towards the base, green above; peduncular bract rarely observed above ground; raceme 7-32 cm. long, up to 10 cm. wide, very lax to dense (see note), conical to corymbose, with 10-50 flowers; bracts triangular, 1-2 mm. long, membranous with a brown midnerve; lower pedicels 1.5-18 cm. long, upper often much shorter. Flowers 3-14 mm. across, campanulate to spreading or recurved. Tepals 3-10 mm. long, subequal, lemon to bright yellow with a red-streaked green midnerve. Filaments subequal, filiform to narrowly lanceolate, yellow, inner erect, 3-4 mm. long, outer more spreading, 2-3 mm. long; anthers small, ovoid. Ovary ovoid, pale green with some red stippling, 2-2.5 mm. long, 1-2 mm. wide; style short, 1-2.5 mm. long, yellow. Fruit turbinate, 6-10 mm. long, 5-7 mm. wide. Seeds ± 6 mm. long, 2 mm. wide, hairs up to 7 mm. long.
Range
DISTR. U 1, 2; K 3, 5; T 1, 2, 4, 6-8; widespread in tropical and subtropical Africa
Altitude range
150-2450(­-2750) m.
Distribution
UGANDA W. Nile District Arua, Mar. 1938, Hazel 454!;KENYA Trans-Nzoia District Moi’ s [Hoey's] Bridge, Mar. 1936, Mainwaring 20!;TANZANIA Musoma District 91 km. Seronera to Klein's Camp, 6 Apr. 1961, Greenway & Myles Turner 9994!;UGANDA Acholi District Naam, Apr. 1943, Purseglove 1519!;UGANDA Bunyoro District near Masindi, 16 Mar. 1907, Bagshawe 1543!KENYA Uasin Gishu District near Kapsaret [Kaposoret] Forest Reserve, 8 May 1951, G.R. Williams 171!;KENYA S. Elgon, Mar. 1937, Tweedie 380!TANZANIA Iringa District Ruaha National Park, 1 km. E. of Msembe, 10 Dec. 1971, A. Bjørnstad 1138!;TANZANIA Songea District 21 km. N. of Songea, by Lumecha Bridge, 3 Jan. 1956, Milne-Redhead & Taylor 8035!
Notes
E. abyssinicum is the most widespread SPECIES and highly variable. As a result there are many local variants, which upon further study may deserve taxonomic ranking. A dwarf form is found in T 4 and T 7, on burnt grassland, 1650-2750 m. ( Richards 13031!, Richards 18454!, Procter 1417!). It only grows 4-8 cm. high and has a dense inflorescence with 18-50 flowers. Intermediate specimens have been found in Malawi, growing 6.5-13 cm. high, but they have a laxer raceme.

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