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Synonyms: |
Anomatheca cruenta Lindl. Anomatheca laxa (Thunb.) Goldblatt subsp. laxa Gladiolus laxus Thunb. Lapeirousia cruenta (Lindl.) Baker Lapeirousia graebneriana Harms Lapeirousia laxa (Thunb.) N.E. Br. Meristostigma laxum (Thunb.) A. Dietr. |
Common names: | |
Frequency: | |
Status: | Native |
Description: |
Perennial herb 20–35 cm high, growing from a conical corm, c. 1 cm in diameter. Leaves several, usually exceeding the inflorescence, narrowly lanceolate. Stem erect, usually unbranched. Inflorescence a 2–6-flowered spike, held more or less horizontal. Flowers zygomorphic, pink to red, with either darker marks at the base of the lower 3 tepals; perianth tube erect, slender, 18–33 mm long; tepals, broadly ovate to oblong, 9–13 cm long, held at right angles to the tube. Style branching between the base and middle of the anthers; style branches c. 2.5 mm long, deeply forked, often tangled among the anthers. Capsules 9–12 mm long, nearly smooth to lightly papillose in the upper half. |
Notes: | Not mentioned in Burrow & Willis, 2005 (Sabonet report 31) but other specimens from Nyika seen at BR. |
Derivation of specific name: | laxa: open, loose, lax |
Habitat: | On rocky hillsides and outcrops, sometimes along forest margins. |
Altitude range: | |
Flowering time: | Nov - Feb |
Worldwide distribution: | Southern DRC, Uganda, western Kenya, Southern Tanzania, northern Malawi, southern Mozambique, Zambia and South Africa. |
Malawi distribution: | N |
Growth form(s): | |
Endemic status: | |
Red data list status: | |
Insects associated with this species: | |
Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
Content last updated: | Wednesday 27 March 2019 |
Literature: |
Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 27. Da Silva, M.C., Izidine, S. & Amude, A.B. (2004). A preliminary checklist of the vascular plants of Mozambique. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 30 Sabonet, Pretoria Page 127. Goldblatt, P. (1993). Iridaceae Flora Zambesiaca 12(4) Pages 52 - 54. As Anomatheca laxa subsp. laxa (Includes a picture). Goldblatt, P. & Manning, J.C. (1995). Phylogeny of the African Genera Anomatheca and Freesia and a new genus Xenoscapa Systematic Botany 20(2) Page 171. Manning, J.C. & Goldblatt, P. (2010). Botany and Horticulture of the Genus Freesia (Iridaceae) Strelitzia 27 South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria Pages 29 - 33. (Includes a picture). Phiri, P.S.M. (2005). A Checklist of Zambian Vascular Plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 32 Page 115. |
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