Ornithoglossum undulatum Sweet

Species

Angiosperms > Liliales > Colchicaceae > Ornithoglossum

Characteristics

Corm ovoid, simple, 2-5 cm long, 1-4 cm wide, with several layers of brown, rather firm tunics, apically protracted into a many-layered neck 5-15(-20) cm long. Cataphyll present, but often concealed by the neck. Stem above-ground part 5-20 cm high, simple. Leaves 2-4, lanceolate, (3-)5-15 cm long, (0.6-)0.8-2.5 cm wide near the base, tapering somewhat abruptly to a mucronate tip, with flat or crisped-undulate margins, glaucous green. Raceme usually short and few-flowered (with 1-5, rarely up to 10 flowers), often somewhat corymb-like, usually slightly overtopping the leaves. Bracts linear-lanceolate, ca. 1-3 cm long, uppermost successively smaller, lowermost one(s) larger and more leaf-like. Perianth 3-4 cm in diam., asymmetric with 1 or 2 tepals ± straight (pointing downwards), the others erect-recurved at anthesis (pointing upwards), all becoming ± reflexed after anthesis. Tepals 16-30 mm long; claw distinct, 2-5 mm long, flattened-subcylindric, broadly canaliculate adaxially; blade linear-lanceolate, 15-25 mm long, 2-4 mm wide below the middle but margins usually involute, especially towards the apex, 8-10-veined, adaxially creamy-white or pale-pink with purple or maroon tips and sometimes with a purplish blotch near the base, abaxially dull-purplish to dull-brownish. Nectary margin truncate or emarginate or prolonged into a short (1-2 mm long), tongue-like, entire or bifid, lobe. Filaments 15-25 mm long, almost as long as the tepals, filiform, slightly thickened below the middle (0.5-1 mm thick or slightly more), creamy-white to rose-coloured, seldom apically purplish. Anthers narrowly oblong, 3-5.5 mm long, olive-green or brownish. Styles 15-25 mm long, spreading, flexuous, white or yellowish. Ovary rounded-oblong, green. Capsule oblong, subglobose or pyriform, 1.5-2.5 cm long, 1-1.8 cm broad. Seeds globose or subglobose, 2.5-4 mm in diam., dark-brown to chocolate-brown, smooth or slightly tartareous (at high magnification 'micro-colliculate'), sometimes slightly glossy, with a narrowly winged or keeled raphe and sometimes a beak-like projecting chalaza.
More
Geophyte, 0.05-0.40 m high. Corms ovoid, tunics several-layered, brown, firm, subterranean neck 50-150 mm long. Stem above ground, 50-200 mm high; basal sheath present, light brown. Leaves 2-4, alternate, lanceolate, apex mucronate, margins crisped-undulate. Inflorescence a 1-5(10)-flowered raceme. Bracts: lowermost leaf-like, upper successively smaller. Flowers nodding, zygomorphic, freesia-scented. Perianth: tepals free, arranged fan-wise; segments 16-30 mm long, unguiculate; claw canaliculate; blade linear-lanceolate, margins involute, adaxially creamy white with purple apices, abaxially pale purple. Nectary 1-2 mm long. Stamens: filaments almost as long as tepals, white to pink; anthers narrowly oblong, olive-green, brownish. Ovary rounded-oblong. Flowering time Apr.-July. Fruit an oblong, subglobose or pyriform capsule.
Cormous geophyte, 50-200 mm tall. Leaves 2-4, lanceolate, smooth or undulate. Flowers nodding, zygomorphic-asymmetric, white to pink with purple or maroon tips, fragrant, tepals 16-30 mm long, nectary narrowly pouch-like with upper margin sometimes tongue-like; filaments filiform or slightly swollen, 15-25 mm long.
Cormous geophyte, 5-20 cm. Leaves lanceolate, margins sometimes crisped. Flowers nodding, zygomorphic, white to pink with purple or maroon tips, filaments filiform, 15-25 mm long.
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Growth form herb
Growth support free-standing
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Sexuality hermaphrodite
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Mature height (meter) 0.05 - 0.2
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Soil texture 7-8
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Usage

Uses medicinal
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Cultivation

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Images

Ornithoglossum undulatum unspecified picture

Distribution

Ornithoglossum undulatum world distribution map, present in South Africa

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77177341-1
WFO ID wfo-0000771424
COL ID 758JP
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Ornithoglossum lichtensteinii Ornithoglossum undulatum Lichtensteinia undulata Lichtensteinia laevigata Ornithoglossum undulatum Cymation laevigatum Cymation undulatum Ornithoglossum glaucum var. grandiflorum Ornithoglossum glaucum var. undulatum Ornithoglossum viride var. grandiflorum Ornithoglossum viride var. undulatum