Compilation
Sansevieria phillipsiae

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Name

Identification
Sansevieria phillipsiae N.E.Br. [family DRACAENACEAE ]
Related name
  • Sansevieria phillipsiae

Flora

Entry for SANSEVIERIA phillipsiae N.E. Br. [family DRACAENACEAE]
Herbarium
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (K)
Collection
Flora Somalia
Resource Type
Reference Sources
Entry From
Flora Somalia, Vol 4, (1995) Author: by Sebsebe Demissew [updated by M. Thulin 2008]
Names
SANSEVIERIA phillipsiae N.E. Br. [family DRACAENACEAE], (1913);. type: plant collected in N1 by Lort Phillips, cultivated in Kew and illustrated in Hook. Ic. Pl. 30: 3000 (1912).
SANSEVIERIA hargeisana Chahin. [family DRACAENACEAE], (1994);. type: cultivated plant originating from N1, WSW of Hargeisa, Lavranos 7382 (MO holo., UPS iso.).
Information
Plant usually with short erect aerial stems branching at or above ground level. Leaves usually 5–10, ± irregularly directed, when young ascending or suberect, later spreading and slightly recurved, rigid, 10–45 x c. 1–1.8 cm, smooth to rough, cylindric, with 5–10 longitudinal lines or slight furrows extending from base to apex and a deeply concave sheathing portion to 9 cm long at the base with acute white edges, rather suddenly narrowed at the apex into a hard brown spine-like tip, young leaves faintly marked with transverse bands of paler green, old leaves dark and slightly bluish-green. Inflorescence a spike-like raceme, up to 45 cm tall including peduncle; flowers 3–6 in a cluster, white or greenish; pedicels 2.5–3 mm long, articulated at or slightly above the middle. Free parts of tepals c. 12 mm long, linear, obtuse; tube c. 10 mm long.
Range
N1; S1
Altitude range
400–1500 m.
Distribution
SOMALIA Gillett 3997; Carter 867; Bally 8037.
Distribution (external)
Ethiopia
Notes
The material from S1, Moggi & Bavazzano 1256 and Beckett & White 1450A, has more slender leaves and smaller paired flowers compared to typical S. phillipsiae and seem to intergrade with S. gracilis N.E. Br. (1911) in East Africa that is an earlier name. Particularly close is the small-flowered S. gracilis var. humbertiana (Guill.) Mbugua in Fl. Trop. E. Afr. (2007), based on S. humbertiana Guill. (1940), with type from Kenya. On the other hand flowers with free part of tepals 15–17 mm long and tube 20–28 mm long have been reported in material of S. phillipsiae from Ethiopia (Dyer & Bruce in Fl. Pl. Afr. 28: pl. 1090 (1950–1951). The plant from S1 has been described as S. gracillima Chahin. (2005), with type from “Bur Heybe”. However, the relationship between this, S. phillipsiae and S. gracilis s. lat. obviously needs to be further studied.

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