Interactive keys to the identification of seed plants of southern Africa using keys based on plant morphology.
Hyacinthaceae - Drimiopsis Lindl. & Paxton
Description:
- Perennial, deciduous, bulbous herbs, occasionally forming clumps
- Bulb globose to ovoid; scales imbricate, fleshy
- Leaves 1-several, contemporary with flowers; with or without a pseudopetiole; narrowly ovate to cordate, thin or fleshy, acute; folded and clasping below; margin entire, rarely minutely crenate; often spotted; glabrous or pubescent
- Inflorescence 1-several, an axillary, cylindrical raceme(s) or spike(s); peduncle erect; bracts minute
- Flowers green, white, pink or purple, small, many; pedicels very short or absent
- Tepals free, cohering below, forming a tube; lobes erect, with small spreading or incurved, hooded apices, narrowly oblong; persistent
- Stamens 6, arising from base of tepals, included; anthers versatile, introrse
- Ovary sessile, oblong, with 2 basal ovules in each locule; style terete; stigma apical
- Fruit an obovoid capsule, deeply 3-angled, rounded above; dehiscing loculicidally
- Seeds semiglobose, flat on abaxial side, black, shiny, verrucose
- x = 10, 11 (aneuploids, high polyploidy)
Classification Notes:
- In this account, the concept of Drimiopsis includes that of the genus Resnova
- This differs from Müller-Doblies & Müller-Doblies (1997) where the genus Resnova is resuscitated and is separated from Drimiopsis by its ± spreading tepal lobes, biseriate stamens, subulate filaments and longer perianth
- Several new species of Drimiopsis were also described in this publication, but before these can be incorporated type material/cited material needs to be accessible
Nomenclature:
- Drimiopsis Lindl. & Paxton
- Lindley & Paxton: 73, t. 172 (1851)
- Baker: 473 (1897)
- Jessop: 151 (1972)
- Stedje: 45 (1993)
- Stedje: 6 (1996)
- Hutchings et al.: 42 (1996)
- Müller-Doblies & Müller-Doblies: 58 (1997)
- Resnova Van der Merwe
- Van der Merwe: 41 (1946)
Distribution & Notes:
- Global: Species ± 15, Africa
- Southern Africa: Species 5, widespread in eastern region, Northern Province, North-West, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Swaziland, KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape
- Drimiopsis, in its broad sense, occurs in grassland, forest margins, often in rocky, shady areas
Additional Notes:
- Used medicinally and horticulturally
References:
- BAKER, J.G. 1897. Liliaceae. Flora capensis 6,2
- HUTCHINGS, A., SCOTT, A.H., LEWIS, G. & CUNNINGHAM, A. 1996. Zulu medicinal plants. University of Natal Press, Pietermaritzburg
- JESSOP, J.P. 1972. Studies in the bulbous Liliaceae in South Africa. Drimiopsis and Resnova. Journal of South African Botany 38
- LINDLEY, J. & PAXTON, J. 1851. Paxton's Flower Garden 2,17. London
- MÜLLER-DOBLIES, U. & D. 1997. A partial revision of the tribe Massonieae. Feddes Repertorium 108
- STEDJE, B. 1993. A revision of the genus Drimiopsis (Hyacinthaceae) in East Africa. Nordic Journal of Botany 14
- STEDJE, B. 1996. Flora of tropical East Africa. Hyacinthaceae
- VAN DER MERWE, F.Z. 1946. Aantekeninge vir die hersiening van die genus Scilla L. in Suid-Afrika. 'n Nuwe genus: Resnova. Tydskrif vir Wetenskap en Kuns, Nuwe reeks 6