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Babiana namaquensis Baker

Species

Angiosperms > Asparagales > Iridaceae > Babiana

Characteristics

Plants up to 80 mm high. Stem reaching ground level, usually with well-developed collar of fibres around base. Leaves narrowly lanceolate to linear, twisted to loosely coiled above, 1.5-3.5(-8.0) mm wide, not evidently pleated, smooth or with short or long hairs, margins and central vein prominently thickened. Spike borne at ground level, 1-to 3-flowered; bracts smooth, green with dry brown tips, 17-27 mm long, inner forked apically. Flowers zygomorphic, pale mauve to creamy white, flushed purple outside, lower lateral tepals white to yellow with mauve tips, sweetly scented; perianth tube funnel-shaped, 25-28 mm long; tepals unequal, dorsal 30-40 mm long, lower 3 shorter, 25-35 mm long, joined basally for short distance. Stamens unilateral; filaments arched, ± 12 mm long; anthers 5-6 mm long. Ovary smooth; style dividing opposite anther apices, branches ± 4 mm long.
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Stemless, cormous geophyte, up to 80 mm tall. Leaves linear to narrowly sword-shaped, spirally twisted or loosely coiled, hairy, the midrib and margins thickened, not evidently pleated, exceeding the flowers. Flowers 1-3 in a dense spike, bilabiate, white to pale mauve, sweetly scented, perianth tube 25-28 mm long, dorsal tepal 30-40 mm long, ovary smooth, bracts green with brown tips, smooth, inner forked apically.
A bulb or corm plant. It does not have a stem but has narrow sword shaped leaves. These can be twisted in spirals. There are 1-3 flowers in a dense spike.
Life form perennial
Growth form herb
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention evergreen
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 0.08
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months -
Fruit color -
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

It is a subtropical plant. It grows on rocky outcrops.
Light -
Soil humidity -
Soil texture 7-9
Soil acidity -
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) -

Usage

The bulb or corm is eaten as a snack and also cooked as a vegetable.
Uses -
Edible bulbs
Therapeutic use -
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Mode -
Germination duration (days) -
Germination temperacture (C°) -
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Distribution

Babiana namaquensis world distribution map, present in Namibia and South Africa

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:436097-1
WFO ID wfo-0000788122
COL ID 5VYP9
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN)
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Babiana namaquensis Babiana buchubergensis
WorldFloraDB 2024