Eucomis

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Eucomis
Eucomis autumnalis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Asparagaceae
Subfamily: Scilloideae
Genus: Eucomis
L'Hér.
Type species
Eucomis regia
(L.) L'Hér.[1]
Synonyms[2]
  • Basilaea Juss. ex Lam.
  • Eucomea Sol. ex Salisb.

Eucomis is a

perennials with basal rosettes of leaves and stout stems covered in star-shaped flowers with a tuft of green bracts at the top, superficially resembling a pineapple – hence the common names.[3]

Taxonomy

The genus Eucomis was first published by Charles L'Héritier in 1789.[2][4] The name Eucomis is of Greek origin, eu- meaning "pleasing" and kome "hair of the head",[5] thus referring to the tuft of leaf-like bracts that crown the inflorescence of the species in this genus. The name was first used by Daniel Solander, who decided that Linnaeus's Fritillaria regia should be placed in a separate genus. However, Solander died before publishing the name, and was not mentioned by L'Héritier in his 1789 publication.[6] Initially, three species were placed in Eucomis: E. regia, E. nana and E. punctata.[4] (The last two are now synonyms of E. regia[7] and E. comosa[8] respectively.)

Classification

Eucomis is placed in the subfamily Scilloideae of the family Asparagaceae by those who use the APG system of plant classification,[9] and in the family Hyacinthaceae by those who use more narrowly defined families.[10] Using the subfamily Scilloideae, Eucomis is placed in the tribe Hyacintheae, subtribe Massoniinae, along with such genera as Lachenalia, Ledebouria, Massonia and Veltheimia.[11]

The species can be divided into two groups. One consists of seven mainly short,

tetraploid species with 2n = 4x = 60 chromosomes: E. autumnalis, E. comosa, E. humilis, E. montana and E. pallidiflora.[12] The ploidy of E. sonnetteana is not known.[13]

Species

The genus includes 13 accepted species.[2]

Image Species
Eucomis amaryllidifolia
Eucomis autumnalis
Eucomis bicolor
Eucomis comosa
Eucomis grimshawii
Eucomis humilis
Eucomis montana
Eucomis pallidiflora
Eucomis regia
Eucomis schijffii
Eucomis sonnetteana
Eucomis vandermerwei
Eucomis zambesiaca

Distribution and habitat

Eucomis is

native to South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini, Zimbabwe and Malawi. Species can be found in grassland, forest, swamps and on river banks, but are absent from the drier regions.[14] The smaller species are more often found at higher elevations, on hilltops or other exposed places; the larger species favour less exposed habitats, such as damp gulleys and streamsides.[6]

Cultivation

Eucomis species are cultivated as ornamental plants. Most of the summer-flowering species will tolerate frost down to −5 to −10 °C (23 to 14 °F) when dormant in winter, provided they are kept dry. They flower best if given both sun exposure and moisture in summer.[6][14] Eucomis regia grows in winter and flowers in early spring. It needs greenhouse cultivation in regions that, like Britain, have a maritime rather than a Mediterranean climate.[6]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Tropicos – Eucomis". Tropicos. Missouri Botanical Garden. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d "POWO – Eucomis". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
  3. ISBN 978-1-4053-3296-5
    .
  4. ^ a b L'Héritier de Brutelle, Charles Louis (1789) [cover 1788]. "Eucomis". Sertum Anglicum, seu, Plantae rariores quae in hortis juxta Londinum : imprimis in horto regio Kewensi excoluntur, ab anno 1786 ad annum 1787 observata. Paris: Didot. p. 11. Retrieved 2018-10-07.
  5. ISBN 978-0-600-58187-1
    .
  6. ^ a b c d Compton, James (1990). "Eucomis L'Heritier". The Plantsman. 12 (3): 129–139.
  7. ^ "POWO – Eucomis nana". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
  8. ^ "POWO – Eucomis punctata". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
  9. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8339.2009.00999.x
    .
  10. doi:10.1017/S0960428603000404
    .
  11. S2CID 7554964
    .
  12. doi:10.1007/s00606-009-0236-y
    .
  13. ^ Crouch, Neil R.; Martínez-Azorín, Mario; Lötter, Mervyn C.; Burrows, John E.; Condy, Gillian (June 2019). "Euomis sonnetteana" (PDF). Flowering Plants of Africa. 66: 46–55. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
  14. ^ a b "PlantZAfrica – Eucomis autumnalis". PlantZAfrica. South African National Biodiversity Institute. Retrieved 3 October 2022.

Bibliography

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Eucomis.
  • Pacific bulb society wiki [1]
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