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 rigidifolia [family ALOACEAE]
Information
Plants several-stemmed. Leaves erect, firm in texture, yellow-green, 500-800 x (15-)20-35 mm, V-shaped in cross section; margin and keel finely serrulate. Scape subequal to leaves or slightly longer, 500-900 mm tall. Raceme subglobose to broadly ovoid, very dense, 50-80 x 50-60 mm; buds spreading, flame or orange-red to coral-red; flowers pendulous, yellow-green to greenish. Bracts oblong-ovate to oblong-lanceolate, subaÂcute to obtuse, 5-7 mm long; margin finely eroso-denticulate to almost entire. Pedicels 1 mm long at flowering, increasing to 3 mm long at fruiting stage. Perianth subcylindrical, 30-40 mm long; lobes broadly ovate, 2.5 mm long, slightly spreadÂing. Stamens in throat or slightly exserted at antheÂsis, later withdrawn. Fruit subglobose to broadly ovoid, 7 mm long. Flowering time: mid-October to the end of November. Figure 41.
Habitat
A spring-flowering species with globose racemes reminiscent of the following species, K. rooperi, but K. rigidifolia has erect, not spreading, yellow-green leaves and the buds are not erect and covered by the imbricate bracts as in K. rooperi. The two species are completely separated geographically.
Use
42. Kniphofia rigidifolia E.A.Bruce in The Flowering Plants of Africa 30: t. 1185 (1955c); Letty: 32 (1962); Codd: 487 (1968); A.Fabian & Germish.: 44, t. 14e (1997); Retief & P.P. J.Herman: 102 (1997). Type: Transvaal [MpuÂmalanga], 11 km S of Dullstroom, Codd 3224 (PRE, holo.!).
Range
Grows in dense grass among dolerite rocks and on fertile soil beside streams in MpuÂmalanga at altitudes of 1 500-2 100 m. Map 21.
