Africa Wild Flower Book - Order Asparagales

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Large Wild Iris, Fairy Iris Dietes grandiflora
Order Asparagales. Family Iridaceae




Pilanesberg

Description
A perennial, evergreen plant which grows up to 1.5 m, forming large clumps. The plant grows from underground rhizomes.
The long, rigid, sword-shaped leaves, held in a fan shape, are dark green and may reach up to 1 m long and 15-20 mm wide.
The attractive flowers, held on erect slender stems about 1 m in length, are large (about 100 mm across) and are white with yellow nectar guides on the outer tepals and violet central segments. The flowers are borne in masses at certain periods — often after rain in summer. The individual flowers do not last more than a couple of days (so are of no use in a vase) however, the plant bears so many flowers during the peak period that the plant looks most striking.
The large wild iris fruit is a large capsule up to 45 mm which is held erect and splits open to release shiny, dark brown seeds.
This plant is occasionally called the "Fairy Iris" because the fragile white petals not only look like fairy wings, but also have a tendency to disappear mysteriously overnight!

Distribution
It grows naturally along the southern and eastern coastal areas of the Eastern Cape and southern Kwazulu-Natal where it may be found in full sun or partial shade at forest margins, or in the shelter of taller shrubs on exposed slopes facing the sea.

Links: PlantZAfrica

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Common Agapanthus, Blue Lily Agapanthus praecox (Bloulelie, Agapant)
Order: Asparagales. Family: Amaryllidaceae

© Michele Nel
Citrus Swallowtail feeding on Agapanthus, Kirstenbosch

Description
Agapanthus is a rhizomatous perennial herb with a large basal tuft of dark green shiny leaves. The leaves are linear, strap-like and somewhat arching, 20-80 cm long by 2-6 cm wide. The blue to purple or white flowers are clustered in a large globular flower head, 10-15 cm across, which is held high above the leaves on a stout shiny stalk to 1 m high. The individual flowers have 6 petals, 4-6 mm long and 6 stamens. The fruit is a greenish capsule. Old plants have a thick branched underground stem.
Agapanthus praecox is a variable species with open-faced flowers. It is divided into three subspecies.

A. o. praecox
This subspecies occurs in Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It usually grows to between 0.8 and 1 metre tall and has 10-11 leathery leaves. The blue flowers, appear from December to February. These have perianth segments which are greater than 50 mm in length.

A. o. orientalis
This subspecies occurs in Eastern Cape and southern KwaZulu-Natal. Although it is about the same height as subsp. praecox, it has up to 20 poisonous, strap-like leaves per plant which are arching and are not leathery. These range in length from 20 to 70 cm long and 3 to 5 cm wide. Flower colour ranges from blue to white. Shiny black seeds are produced in three-sided capsules. These have perianth segments which are less than 50 mm in length.

A. o. minimus
Occurring in the southeastern Western Cape and Eastern Cape, this subspecies is the smallest, ranging in height from 300 to 600 mm. It has a longer flowering season, from November to March. Flower colour includes white and various shades of blue.

Distribution
South African endemic (Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape).

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Riversdale Bluebell Gladiolus rogersii (Bloupypie)
Order: Asparagales. Family: Iridaceae

© Michael de Nysschen

Description
Slender perennial, 30-60 cm, with narrow, leathery, almost thread-like leaves without strongly thickened margins; bears fragrant, bell-like, blue to purple flowers with yellow or white transverse markings on the lower tepals. It blooms in spring.

Distribution
South Africa, endemic to the Western Cape, from Pearly Beach, east to Humansdorp.

Habitat
It is found on sandstone and limestone slopes in winter and year round rainfall areas, up to 1,000 metres above sea level.

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Common Monkshood Orchid, Broomrape Orchid Pterygodium orobanchoides, Corycium orobanchoides (Bastertrewwa)
Order: Asparagales. Family: Orchidaceae. Subfamily: Orchidoideae. Tribe: Diseae

© okie
Vineyard in the Western Cape

Description
A Perennial. It grows to 42 cm. Leaves lanceolate with basal leaves prominently barred with purple-red towards the base. Inflorescence dense up to 18 cm with many yellow-green flowers with purplish-brown tips, the lateral sepals almost completely united. The uppermost 3 tepals are connivent into a hood. The lip is joined to the column bearing an appendage that covers the anthers. Flowers are in a dense raceme and unpleasantly scented. It blooms September to October.

Distribution
South African endemic. It is found in the winter rainfall Western Cape Province.

Habitat
Corycium orobanchoides is found on sandy flats.

© Tina
West Coast National Park

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Two-leaf Cape-tulip Moraea miniata
Order: Asparagales. Family: Iridaceae

© Tina
West Coast National Park, Western Cape

Description
Perennial, 15-60 cm, with 2 or 3 narrow trailing leaves; bears flowers that are star-shaped and usually salmon-orange, sometimes yellow or white, and minutely speckled in the centre, with the tepals all similar and not forming a cup, such that anthers are prominently displayed; the stamen filaments are joined into a column 6-8 mm long that is hairy at the base and the anthers are 2 mm long.

Distribution
South African endemic (Northern Cape, Western Cape), from Namaqualand to Riversdale, and Karoo.

Habitat
Fynbos, Nama Karoo, Succulent Karoo. Mainly clay slopes in renosterveld and karroid scrub.

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Chincherinchee, Wonder-flower, Star-of-Bethlehem Ornithogalum thyrsoides (Tjienkerientjiee)
Order: Asparagales. Family: Hyacinthaceae

© Tina
West Coast National Park, Western Cape

Description
Perennial herb, 20 to 80 cm tall, with round bulbs, with soft, whitish outer bulb tunics; becoming dormant in the winter months. The plant has few (5-7) fleshy leaves that die back after flowering. Leaves range from 15 to 30 cm in length and 0.5 to 1.5 cm in width, are lance-shaped, smooth and soft-textured.
Flower stalks are leafless and produce either a tight cluster of flowers (30-50) in a raceme or few flowers (5-20) in a loose corymb with flowers reaching almost the same height. The bowl-shaped flower is supported by a large green bract about the length of pedicels in open flowers. Flowers are white or creamy-white, usually with a brown or green centre that fades with age. They appear from October to February, are long lasting and also phototropic (bending in response to light). The capsule is spindle-shaped and thin walled, splitting longitudinally to expose black, shiny, variously shaped seeds.

Distribution
South African endemic, Northern Cape, Western Cape. Its distribution extends from Namaqualand to Caledon.

Habitat
Vleis, sandy or gravelly flats, lower mountain slopes and in disturbed ground. Winter rainfall region.

Links: John C. Manning: Field Guide to Fynbos

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Slime Lily Albuca flaccida (Slymlelie)
Order: Asparagales. Family: Hyacinthaceae

© Tina
West Coast National Park, Western Cape

Taxonomic note
Albuca is a genus of more than 100 species belonging to the Hyacinthaceae family, occurring mostly in southern Africa. This genus is apparently most closely related to Ornithogalum. APGIII includes this genus in the Asparagaceae family. In the current classification scheme, Albuca has a well-defined green or brownish median longitudinal band on the outer surface of each tepal and a concentration of 3-5 veins along the midline.

Description
Robust bulbous perennial, 40-100 cm, with 3-5 fleshy, channelled leaves that clasp the stem below; bears a raceme of fragrant flowers, nodding on long pedicels, yellowish green with green keels. It is strongly and pleasantly perfumed. Albuca flaccida flowers late winter and spring (September to November) and is winter growing, summer dormant.This species produces copious seed which is easily dispersed by the wind.

Distribution
South African endemic to the Western Cape.

Habitat
On stony soils.

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Large Orange Watsonia Watsonia pillansii (Knolpypie, Lakpypie, Suurknol, Grootoranjepypie)
Order: Asparagales. Family: Iridaceae

© nan
Kirstenbosch

Description
Robust perennial to 1.6 m tall, forming colonies, with a corm and sword-shaped leaves, and orange flowers. Leaves 4-6, strap-shaped, 12-18 mm wide. Flowers usually 25 to 30 in an erect spike, arranged in two rows and pointing in opposite directions, bright orange to orange-red. The flowers have a cylindrical tube, 36-50 mm long, and filaments 30-40 mm long. Perianth with three whitish ridges between the lower parts of the filaments. The fruits are blunt.

Distribution
South African endemic (Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape).

Habitat
Grassland and fynbos, often in rocky places.

Links: A Photographic Guide to Wild Flowers of South Africa. Braam Van Wyk

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Blood Flower, Red Paintbrush Scadoxus puniceus
Order: Asparagales. Family: Amaryllidaceae

© Toko

© Toko
Ghost Mountain Inn, Mkuze, KwaZulu-Natal

Description
Robust, deciduous perennial to 1 m, growing from a bulb, often suckering to form small colonies. Leaves in a basal rosette. The leaves are glossy green, reach 30-40 cm in length and have wavy margins. The leaf cluster forms a false stem, often not fully developed at flowering, and a brush-like head, ±15 cm in diameter, of erect, orange flowers. Inflorescence not spherical, surrounded by large leaf-like brownish bracts, longer than the flowers. Flowers with filiform segments, orange-red.
Distinguished from Scadoxus multiflorus by the large bracts, the more flattened inflorescence and the orange-red colour of the flowers.

Distribution
Native to southern and eastern Africa. Provincial distribution in South Africa: Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North West, Western Cape.

Habitat
Grassland, bushveld, along forest margins, in rocky or shady places.

Links: A Photographic Guide to Wild Flowers of South Africa. Braam Van Wyk; PlantZAfrica

© Bushcraft
Nselweni Bush Camp, iMfolozi Game Reserve

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Cape Hyacinth Pseudogaltonia clavata (Slangkop, Groenlelie, Gifbol)
Order: Asparagales. Family: Hyacinthaceae

© nan
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

Description
Perennial, bulbous plant, up to 1 m tall. It grows from a large bulb (up to 17 cm in diameter) with a fibrous tunic. Flowering after good rains, usually in December. The white flowers are borne on a long stem in a pyramid-shaped raceme. Individual flowers are funnel-shaped and borne on long stalks and droop downwards. The tepals are fused at the base, forming a tube about two-thirds or three-quarters of the length of the flower, swollen slightly at its base. The tubular part of the tepals is green, the free lobes are whitish with a green streak. The stamens, which protrude from the flower, have broad triangle-shaped filaments which are arise from the mouth of the flower tube and green anthers. The seeds are black. The plant produces up to 10, dark green, lanceolate, strap-shaped leaves, approximately 100 mm in width and 600 mm long.

Distribution
Namibia and South Africa (Northern Cape, Namaqualand).

Habitat
Summer rainfall regions.