WorldFloraDB - Wurmbea dioica

Characteristics

A dainty white lily. It is a small herb with a bulb. It grows 4-30 cm high. There are 3 leaves. They are bright green and grass like. They clasp the stem. The leaves are 15 cm long and 1-3 mm wide. The tubers are 1 cm long and 5 mm wide. They are brown with flaky black skin. They are buried 3-5 cm below the ground. The flowers have a scent. They are start like and have 6 segments. They are white with a purple band. The flowers occur in small clusters at the ends of shoots. Male and female flowers are on separate plants. The male flowers have 6 stamens with purple anthers. The female flowers have a dark purple swollen ovary. There can be 2-6 flowers per plant. They are on a single stem 10 cm high. The fruit is a 3 celled brown capsule.

More

Plant 3.5-30 cm tall. Leaves 3, well separated or occasionally lower 2 basal; lowest leaf filiform or linear, 0.5-2 mm wide, occasionally to 5 mm; second leaf filiform or narrow and tapering, dilated basally or occasionally like lowest leaf; upper leaf dilated with short to long narrow apical portion. Inflorescence open; flowers 1-11, usually 2-7. Perianth 3.5-11.5 mm long; tepals 6, connate for less than one-sixth of length; nectary 1 per tepal 1/4-1/2 from base, a slightly thickened, straight or curved, transverse band, occasionally with a partial or complete but narrow break at middle. Stamens 1/2-2/3 as long as perianth; anthers 1-1.5 mm long, red or purple. Styles free.

Life form	perennial
Growth form	herb
Growth support	free-standing
Foliage retention	-
Sexuality	polygamodioecy
Pollination	-
Spread	-
Mature width (meter)	-
Mature height (meter)	0.04 - 0.3
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Nitrogen fixer	-
Photosynthetic pathway	c3

Environment

It is a temperate plant. It grows in damp grassland and forest. It needs well drained soil in part shade.

Light	-
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Usage

The bulb is roasted and eaten.

Uses	-
Edible	bulbs roots tubers
Therapeutic use	-
Human toxicity	-
Animal toxicity	-

Cultivation

It is best treated as an annual plant. Plants can be grown from seed. Seeds are collected from drying capsules. The seed need to be treated. The seeds need to be just covered and kept moist at 20-25°C and they will grow in 15-60 days. Seedlings can be planted out in 3-6 months. Plants can also be grown by division.

Mode	seedlings
Germination duration (days)	-
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