Name
Identification
Dietes vegeta (L.) N.E.Br. [family IRIDACEAE ]
Related name
- Dietes vegeta
Flora
Entry for DIETES iridioides (L.) Klatt [family IRIDACEAE]
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: Peter Goldblatt
Names
DIETES iridioides (L.) Klatt [family IRIDACEAE], in Th. Dur. & Schinz, Consp Fl. Afr. 7: 156 (1895); Goldblatt in Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 68: 145 (1981) & in F.Z. 12(4): 8 (1993); U.K.W.F., ed. 2: 323, t. 150 (1994). Type: South Africa, without precise locality, cultivated in England, illustration in Mill., Fig. Pl. 2, t. 239/1 (1758)
Moraea iridioides L. [family IRIDACEAE], Mant. Pl.: 28 (1767); Baker in F.T.A. 7: 342 (1898)
Iris compressa L.f. [family IRIDACEAE], Suppl.: 98 (1781); Thunb., Diss. Irid. no. 12 (1782). Type: South Africa, Western Cape Province, “ Zeekorivier”, Thunberg (UPS (Herb. Thunberg), holo.!)
Naron orientale Medik. [family ], in Hist. & Comment. Acad. Elect. Sci. Theod.-Palat. 6: 419 (1790), nom. superfl. Based on M. iridoides L.
Naron iridioideum (L.) Moench [family ], Meth.: 627 (1794)
Ferraria blanda Salisb. [family IRIDACEAE], Prod. Stirp.: 42 (1796), nom. superfl. Based on M. iridioides L.
Dietes iridifolia Salisb. [family IRIDACEAE], in Trans. Hort. Soc. 1: 307 (1812), nom. nud.
Moraea catenulata Lindl. [family IRIDACEAE], in Bot. Reg., t. 1074 (1827). Type: illustration cited, based on Mauritius, Barclay
Dietes iridioides (L.) Sweet [family IRIDACEAE], Hort. Brit., ed. 2: 497 (1830), nom. invalid. ( Dietes nom. nud. )
Dietes compressa (L.f.) Klatt [family IRIDACEAE], in Linnaea 34: 584 (1863)
Dietes catenulata (Lindl.) Klatt [family IRIDACEAE], in Linnaea 34: 585 (1863)
Moraea iridioides Baker var. prolongata [family IRIDACEAE], in Fl. Cap. 6: 26 (1896). Type: South Africa, Kwazulu-Natal, Inanda, J.M. Wood 1341 (K, holo.!)
Dietes prolongata (Baker) N.E. Br. [family IRIDACEAE], in J.L.S. 48: 37 (1928)
Dietes prolongata N.E. Br. var. galpinii [family IRIDACEAE], in J.L.S. 48: 37 (1928). Type: South Africa, Mpumalanga [Eastern Transvaal], Barberton, Galpin 1206 (K, holo.!)
Dietes vegeta [family IRIDACEAE], sensu N.E. Br. in J.L.S. 48: 36 (1928), non (L.) N.E. Br. sensu stricto
Moraea sp. [family IRIDACEAE], sensu W.F.K.: 125 (1948)
Information
Plants (15-)30-60 cm. high, often in tufts. Leaves 2.5-4(-6) cm. long, narrowly lanceolate, 6-15(-25) mm. wide. Stem bearing short leaves below, and sheathing, bract-like leaves above, branched irregularly; sheathing leaves 2.5-3 cm. long, often dry and brownish; old inflorescences sometimes producing branches with a terminal cluster of leaves, and ultimately rooting. Rhipidia with spathes 3.5-5(-5.5) cm. long, outer ± half as long as inner, obtuse to emarginate. Flowers white with yellow nectar guides on outer tepals, claws of outer tepals orange dotted, style-branches blue or white flushed with blue above. Outer tepals 2.4-3.5 cm. long, claw ± 1.6 cm. long, limb 1.2-1.6 cm. long, spreading to recurved, inner tepals 24-28 × 9-12 mm., spreading to recurved. Filaments 5-9 mm. long, free or united below; anthers 3-6 mm. long. Style 2-3 mm. long, the branches 7-9 mm. long, 4-6 mm. wide; crests ± 5 mm. long. Capsule ovoid-cylindric, erect, usually rostrate, 1.5-3 cm. long, surface fissured or nearly smooth. Fig. 2/1-2.
Range
DISTR. U 2; K 3, 4, 6; T 3, 6-8;
Altitude range
1100-2300 m.
Distribution
UGANDA Toro District Kibale Forest, Aug. 1936, Eggeling 3118!;KENYA Trans-Nzoia District SW. slopes of Elgon, 1934, Tweedie 165!;TANZANIA Lushoto District W. Usambara Mts., western Shagayu [Shagai] Forest, 15 May 1953, Drummond & Hemsley 2550!;UGANDA Kigezi District S. Maramagambo Forest, just outside Queen Elizabeth National Park, 1969, Lock & Synott 69/165!KENYA Machakos District Chyulu Hills, 21 Apr. 1938, Bally 193!;KENYA Masai District Trans-Mara Plateau on road to Kilgoris ± 7.5 km. beyond Lolgorien, 15 Apr. 1961, Glover, Gwynne & Samuel 605!TANZANIA Iringa District Mt. Image, 3 Mar. 1962, Polhill & Paulo 1658!;TANZANIA Songea District Matengo Hills, Lupembe Hill, 10 Jan. 1956, Milne-Redhead & Taylor 8180!
Distribution (external)
E. Zaire
Zambia
Malawi
Mozambique
Zimbabwe
Swaziland
South Africa
Notes
Sometimes confused with the cultivated D. grandiflora N.E. Br., from South Africa, which has larger flowers that last two full days, has brown markings on the inner tepals, and darker purple style-branches.