Compilation
Moraea trita

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Name

Identification
Moraea stricta Baker [family IRIDACEAE ] Verified by Goldblatt in, Isotype of Moraea trita N.E.Br. [family IRIDACEAE ] Verified by Not on sheet, Moraea thomsonii Baker [family IRIDACEAE ] (stored under name); Verified by Not on sheet,
Related name
  • Moraea stricta
  • Moraea thomsonii
  • Moraea trita

Flora

Entry for MORAEA stricta Baker [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
MORAEA stricta Baker [family IRIDACEAE], in Viert. Nat. Ges. Zürich 49: 178 (1904); Goldblatt in Ann. Kirstenbosch Gard. 14: 134 (1986) & in F.Z. 12(4): 17 (1993). Type: South Africa, Northern Province, Shilouvane, Junod 563 (Z, holo.!, K, LD, iso.!)
MORAEA tellinii Chiov. [family IRIDACEAE], in Ann. Bot. Roma 9: 138 (1911). Lectotype, chosen by Goldblatt (1977): Ethiopia, Simien, Debarek, Chiovenda 3007 (FI, lecto.!)
MORAEA trita N.E. Br. [family IRIDACEAE], in Trans. Roy. Soc. S. Afr. 17: 347 (1929); Letty et al., Wild Fl. Transvaal: 73, t. 36/1 (1962). Type: South Africa, Mpumalanga [Eastern Transvaal], Lydenburg, Wilms 1419 (K, holo.!, P, PRE, iso.!)
MORAEA parva N.E. Br. [family IRIDACEAE], in Trans. Roy. Soc. S. Afr. 17: 347 (1929). Type: South Africa, Northern Province, Woodbush Mts., Moss 15564 (K, holo.!)
MORAEA mossii N.E. Br. [family IRIDACEAE], in Trans. Roy. Soc. S. Afr. 17: 347 (1929). Type: South Africa, Gauteng [Transvaal], Johannesburg, Moss 15805 (K, holo.!, PRE, iso.!)
MORAEA curtisae R.C. Foster [family IRIDACEAE], in Contr. Gray Herb. 127: 46 (1939). Type: Kenya, Masai District, Noyrosera, 60 km. SE. of Narok, Curtis 676 (GH, holo.!)
MORAEA thomsonii [family IRIDACEAE], sensu Goldblatt in Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 64: 243-295 (1977), pro parte; Blundell, Wild Fl. E. Afr.: 429, fig. 864 (1987); U.K.W.F., ed. 2: 323, t. 149 (1994), non Baker
Information
Plants usually 15-25 cm. high. Corm 1-3 cm. diameter, tunics of medium to coarse dark brown fibres, often bearing cormlets among the fibres. Foliage leaf solitary, usually absent at flowering time (or dead and still attached to base of stem), rarely the new leaf emerging, eventually produced to ± 60 cm. or more, terete, without an adaxial groove, ± 1.5 mm. diameter. Stem erect, usually bearing 3-6 branches, these held close to the main stem, sessile or on short branches concealed by the subtending sheathing leaves, these dry and brownish, 3-6 cm. long, apices often lacerated. Rhipidia with spathes dry and papery, rarely green near the base, the inner (2.5-)3-4 cm. long, apices membranous, speckled darker brown, sometimes lacerated, the outer usually ± 2/3 as long as the inner. Flowers pale lilac to blue-violet with yellow-orange spotted nectar guides on the outer tepals. Outer tepals 1.9-2.4 cm. long, claw ascending, narrow, slightly shorter than the limb, limb ovate-lanceolate, ± 1.1-1.4 mm. long, 5-8 mm. wide, reflexed; inner tepals linear-lanceolate, erect or ascending, 15-18 × 2-4 mm. Filaments 3-4 mm. long, united in the lower third; anthers 5-6 mm. long. Ovary 5-6 mm. long, the style-branches 7-8 mm. long, crests 3-6 mm. long. Capsules obovoid, 8-11 mm. Fig. 2/4.
Range
DISTR. U 1; K 1, 3-5; T 2, 3, 5-7 widespread from Ethiopia to Eastern Cape Province,
Altitude range
1600-3000 m.
Distribution
UGANDA Karamoja District Mt. Moroto, 5 Sept. 1956, Hardy & Bally in Bally 10748! & Mt. Debasien, Eggeling 2693!KENYA Trans-Nzoia District near Kitale, Saiwa Swamp National Park, 17 Mar. 1977, Hooper & Townsend 1442!;KENYA Nairobi National Park, 2 Sept. 1962, Verdcourt 3284!;TANZANIA Mbulu District Ufiome [Ufiume] Mts., 12 Oct. 1930, B.D. Burtt 2382!;KENYA Masai District Loita Hills, ± 6 km. N. of Morijo, 14 Aug. 1977, Kuchar & Msafiri 6936!TANZANIA Mpwapwa District Wotta Plateau, 31 Oct. 1958, Gane 133!;TANZANIA Njombe District Lupembe, 28 Sept. 1931, Schlieben 1237!
Distribution (external)
South Africa
Notes
Recognised by the absence of a green leaf at flowering time, together with its sessile (or nearly sessile) lateral inflorescences and small blue-violet to lilac flowers with unequal tepals, only the larger outer with nectar guides. Easily confused with the vegetatively similar M. thomsonii — see discussion below.

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