Wurmbea spicata var. spicata Ker Gawl.

Variety

Angiosperms > Liliales > Colchicaceae > Wurmbea > Wurmbea spicata

Characteristics

Corm ovoid, with firm black tunics, 1.5-2.5 cm long, 1-2 cm wide. Neck often distinct, several-layered. Stem above ground 5-20 cm high. Leaves 3(-4), suberect to spreading or recurved, linear-lanceolate, 2-18(-22) cm long, 2-10 mm wide with a somewhat broader base; uppermost leaf usually shorter and more cuspidate. Spike ovoid-cylindrical, 1.5-10 cm long, 1.5-2(-2.5) cm wide, few-many-flowered, usually fairly dense. Perianth campanulate to wheel-shaped, 1-1.7 cm in diam., white to creamy or greenish white. Tube oblong or somewhat cyathiform, 3-6 mm long, 2-3 mm wide basally, often widening above. Segments narrowly ovate-lanceolate, 4-7.5 mm long, 1.5-2.5 mm wide basally, 3-7-veined, obtuse or acute, white or creamy white with sometimes pale greenish tips, with or without (faint or distinct) dark red-brownish purple margins, without nectary spot or rarely with 2 faint spots above the nectary. Nectary an apically open and usually shallow groove above the filament base. Filaments 1.5-3.5 mm long. Anthers oblong or elliptic-oblong, 0.8-1.2 mm long, 0.7-0.8 mm wide, yellow or olive-brown. Ovary narrowly oblong or elliptic-oblong, 2-5 mm long excl. styles; free styles subulate, 2.2-5 mm long. Capsule elliptic-oblong, 3.5-6 mm long excl. styles, 2.5-4 mm wide. Seeds subglobose, ca. 1 mm in diam., brown, finely reticulate-muricate.
Life form perennial
Growth form herb
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Sexuality hermaphrodite
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Mature height (meter) 0.05 - 0.2
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Environment

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Usage

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Edible -
Therapeutic use -
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Cultivation

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Distribution

Wurmbea spicata var. spicata world distribution map, present in South Africa

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77168684-1
WFO ID wfo-0000773017
COL ID 5S567
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN)
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Melanthium luridum Wurmbea spicata var. spicata Melanthium lucidum