Hesperantha leucantha Baker

Species

Angiosperms > Asparagales > Iridaceae > Hesperantha

Characteristics

Plants mostly 300-450 mm high. Corm ovoid, slightly asymmetric, ± 10 mm diam.; tunics dark brown, ± concentric, splitting below into sections and above into pointed cusps. Stem simple or branched from near base, weak, often curved or trailing. Leaves 4 or 5, lower 2 or 3 basal, reaching to ± base or middle of spike, sword-shaped to ± linear or falcate, often weak and trailing, mostly 1.5-5.5 mm wide, main vein and margins thickened, remaining leaves cauline, progressively shorter, uppermost entirely sheathing. Spike (1-)3-to 6-flowered; outer bract green, mostly 8-15 mm long, inner bract smaller, partly membranous. Flowers diurnal, salver-shaped, pale pink to pale mauve, rarely ± white, scent not recorded; perianth tube cylindric, widening near mouth, mostly 7-11 mm long; tepals spreading, mostly 9-13(-15) mm long. Filaments ± 5 mm long, inserted slightly below top of tube; anthers 4-5 mm long, white; pollen white. Style branches 10-15 mm long, exceeding anthers in closed flower.
More
Perennial herb, geophyte, 0.1-0.2 m high; corm turbinate with dark brown concentric tunics; stem simple or 1-branched, erect or curved. Leaves 4 or 5, lower 2 or 3 basal, others inserted on stem, straight or slightly falcate, acute, margins thickened, midrib raised. Bracts 8-18 mm long, green, sometimes reddish at apex. Inflorescence a 1-6-flowered spike; flowers white, pale pink or pale lilac-mauve; outer tepals washed pale green outside, open during day. Stamens exserted; filaments 2.5-3.5 mm long; anthers 4-6(-7) mm long. Flowering time Mar.-? Capsule oblong.
Cormous geophyte, up to 200 mm high. Leaves 4 or 5, lower 3 basal, weak and drooping. Flowers: anthers 4.5-5.5 mm long; style branches 10-12 mm long; perianth with tube 12-14(-15) mm long, segments 12-16 mm long, ± uniformly pale pink; Jan.-Apr.
Life form perennial
Growth form herb
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention evergreen
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 0.2
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months -
Fruit color -
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

Light -
Soil humidity 4-6
Soil texture 7-8
Soil acidity -
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) -

Usage

Uses -
Edible -
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

Hesperantha leucantha world distribution map, present in Lesotho and South Africa

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:438139-1
WFO ID wfo-0000782796
COL ID 6LRNL
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN)
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Hesperantha leucantha Geissorhiza macra