Four new species and one new subspecies of <i>Lachenalia</i> (Hyacinthaceae) from arid areas of South Africa

Abstract

Four new species of Lachenalia are described: L. karooica W.F.Barker

Effect of bulb size on growth, flowering and bulb formation in lachenalia cultivars

“…The ornamental bulbous geophyte Lachenalia belongs to the Hyacinthaceae family and is native to South Africa and Namibia (Duncan 1996). The interest in South African indigenous plants has remained constant since the eighteenth century, but there are still flower bulb species with great potential for commercialization on the international cut and potted flowers market (Reinten et al 2011).…”

A revision of <i>Lachenalia</i> (Hyacinthaceae) in the Eastern Cape, South Africa

“…; PRE). Duncan's (1996) description needs no elaboration. Lachenalia perryae may be recognised as follows: it usu ally has a single narrowly lanceolate, banded leaf, which does not widen abruptly at the base; patent or slightly cernous, oblong-campanulate flowers with pale blue outer perianth segments and whitish inner segments, and included stamens.…”

“…The species is essentially a Western Cape species with the majority of collections from the Karoo National Botanical Garden at Worcester. It has been recorded from Worcester District south to Port Beaufort and eastwards to Albertinia (Duncan 1996). One isolated record from Kommadagga in the Eastern Cape is a wide disjunction (Figure 3).…”

“…The genus has attracted attention as an horticultural subject, and some of the more decorative species have become well known through cultivation. Despite this, no revision of the genus has been attempted since Baker's (1897) treatment in Flora capensis; however the work of Barker (see Arnold & De Wet 1993 for references) and Duncan (1988Duncan ( , 1996Duncan ( , 1997, has resulted in the species from Western Cape becoming reasonably well known taxonomically. The same cannot be said for the Eastern Cape species.…”

Hyacinthaceae: Massonieae

“…Many of the species have great ornamental value (Duncan 1988(Duncan , 1989a, and hybrids developed by the Agricultural Research Council at Roodeplaat near Pretoria, have recently been introduced onto the international pot plant market. The new species described here forms part of a series of papers towards a revision of the genus (Duncan 1996(Duncan , 1997(Duncan , 1998b.…”