Compilation
Kniphofia buchananii

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Name

Identification
Kniphofia buchananii Baker [family ASPHODELACEAE ]
Related name
  • Kniphofia buchananii

Flora

Entry for Kniphofia buchananii [family ALOACEAE]
Herbarium
South African National Biodiversity Institute, Compton Herbarium, Cape Town (SAM)
Collection
Flora of Southern Africa
Resource Type
Reference Sources
Entry From
Flora of South Africa, (2003) Author: Dr J.P. Roux
Names
Kniphofia buchananii [family ALOACEAE]
Common names
K. buchananii v&r.flavescens A.Berger: 40 (1908), p.p. as to J.M.Wood 1972.
Information
Plants usually single-stemmed. Leaves narrow, grass-like, at first ascending, later recurving, 400-600 x 2.5-4.0 mm, keeled, triangular in cross section; margin smooth. Scape overtopping recurved leaves, 400-850 mm tall. Raceme oblong to cylindrical, 35-90 x 10-14 mm, dense at apex, often laxer below; buds erect, greenish cream or tinged with red; flowers ascending to deflexed, white. Bracts ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate, acute to acuminate, 4.0-5.5 mm long; margin entire or minutely eroso-denticulate. Pedicels 0.5-1.0 mm long, elongating to 2 mm in fruit. Perianth subcampanulate to oblong, 4.0-5.5 mm long; lobes broadly ovate, 1 mm long, not spreading. Stamens exserted by 1.0-1.5 mm at anthesis. Fruit globose to ovoid, 2.5 mm long. Flowering time: mainly February to March, with an occasional record as early as October and as late as April. Figure 6.
Habitat
Its nearest relative is K. breviflora (No. 8) from which it is distinguished mainly on peri­anth length which, in K. breviflora, is 7-11 mm. There are, however, occasional intermediates which suggest that K. buchananii might be bet­ter placed as a subspecies of K. breviflora. K. breviflora occurs more inland and at higher ele­vations than K. buchananii. For this reason K. parviflora var. albiflora A.Berger, based on J.M. Wood 4826 from Glencoe with flowers 6-7 mm long, is placed in synonymy under K. breviflora (see also notes on flower colour and typification under the latter species).
Use
7. Kniphofia buchananii Baker in Journal of Botany, London 23: 276 (1885); Baker: 276 (1896); A.Berger: 39 (1908), p.p. excluding Cooper 1029, 3294; Engl. & Drude: 313 (1908); Codd: t. 1446A (1965b). Codd: 411 (1968). Type: Natal [KwaZulu-Natal], without locality, Rev. J. Buchanan s.n. (K, holo!).
Range
Found in the KwaZulu-Natal midlands and semicoastal grassland at medium altitudes of! 300-1 300 m, on grassy slopes, often among dolerite rocks. Map 3.

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