genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
of
flowering plant
Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...
s in the
family
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae. The genus is distributed mainly in southern and eastern
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
, with some species occurring in northern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Plants of the genus are known commonly as slime lilies.
Description
These are perennial herbs growing from bulbs. The stem is sheathed in leaves with linear to strap-shaped blades. They can be 8 centimeters to well over one meter long and are flat or keeled. They are generally fleshy and sappy with a
mucilaginous
Mucilage is a thick, gluey substance produced by nearly all plants and some microorganisms. These microorganisms include protists which use it for their locomotion. The direction of their movement is always opposite to that of the secretion of ...
juice that inspired the common name "slime lilies". The flowers of some species are scented, especially at night. They are borne in racemes, usually slender, but flat-topped in some species. The flowers may be on stiff, or slender, nodding stalks, held erect or drooping. The six
tepal
A tepal is one of the outer parts of a flower (collectively the perianth). The term is used when these parts cannot easily be classified as either sepals or petals. This may be because the parts of the perianth are undifferentiated (i.e. of very ...
s are white to yellow and each has a green or brown stripe down the center. The outer three tepals spread open, while the inner three are connivent, curving inward so that the tips meet. There are six stamens, which have wings at the bases that wrap around the ovary at the center of the flower. Some species have six fertile stamens, and in others the outer stamens are staminodes which do not produce pollen. The fruit is a rounded or oval three-lobed capsule containing shiny black seeds.
The three inner tepals can be closed firmly, raising the question of how pollinators might reach the stigma inside to deposit pollen. In a study of the interaction between pollinators and ''Albuca'' flowers,
leafcutter bees
The genus ''Megachile'' is a cosmopolitan group of solitary bees, often called leafcutter bees or leafcutting bees; it also includes the called resin bees and mortar bees. While other genera within the family Megachilidae may chew leaves or pet ...
were observed prying open the tepals and squeezing through to obtain the nectar inside. In the process, they left pollen on the tips of the tepals, where it absorbed fluid, germinated, and fertilized ovules. This was the first known case of flower petals performing the function of the stigma.
Systematics
The genus is
circumscribed
In geometry, the circumscribed circle or circumcircle of a polygon is a circle that passes through all the vertices of the polygon. The center of this circle is called the circumcenter and its radius is called the circumradius.
Not every polyg ...
in two ways. The traditional genus ''Albuca'' is a monophyletic group of about 60 known species, and possibly about 100 in total. Other authorities have considered ''Albuca'' in a wider sense, including such genera as ''Stellarioides'', ''Coilonox'', ''Trimelopter'', and ''Battandiera'', for a total of 110 to 180 very heterogeneous species. All of these genera, including ''Albuca'', have also been lumped together in ''
Ornithogalum
''Ornithogalum'' is a genus of perennial plants mostly native to southern Europe and southern Africa belonging to the family Asparagaceae. Some species are native to other areas such as the Caucasus. Growing from a bulb, species have linear bas ...
'' at times, but
molecular phylogenetics
Molecular phylogenetics () is the branch of phylogeny that analyzes genetic, hereditary molecular differences, predominantly in DNA sequences, to gain information on an organism's evolutionary relationships. From these analyses, it is possible to ...
studies support their separation.
Species
The genus, defined broadly, contains about 160 accepted species, according to the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families .
* '' Albuca abyssinica'' Jacq. – Tropical & S. Africa, S.W. Arabian Peninsula
* '' Albuca acuminata'' Baker – Namibia to W. Cape Province
* '' Albuca adlami'' Baker – Northern Province ?
* '' Albuca albucoides'' (Aiton) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt – S.W. Cape Province
* '' Albuca amboensis'' (Schinz) Oberm. – Namibia to Botswana
* '' Albuca amoena'' (Batt.) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt – N.W. Sahara
* '' Albuca anisocrispa'' Mart.-Azorín & M.B.Crespo – E. Cape Province
* '' Albuca annulata'' Mart.-Azorín & M.B.Crespo – Eastern Cape Province
* '' Albuca arenosa'' J.C.Manning & Goldblatt – W. Cape Province
* '' Albuca aurea'' Jacq. – S.W. Cape Province
* '' Albuca autumnula'' (U.Müll.-Doblies & D.Müll.-Doblies) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt – S.W. Cape Province
* '' Albuca bakeri'' Mart.-Azorín & M.B.Crespo – S. Cape Province
* '' Albuca barbata'' (Jacq.) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt – Cape Province
* ''
Albuca batteniana
''Albuca'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae. The genus is distributed mainly in southern and eastern Africa, with some species occurring in northern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Plants of the g ...
'' Hilliard & B.L.Burtt – S. Cape Province – wild coast albuca
* '' Albuca bifolia'' Baker – S. Cape Province
* '' Albuca bifoliata'' R.A.Dyer – S. Cape Province
* '' Albuca boucheri'' U.Müll.-Doblies – S.W. Cape Province
* '' Albuca bracteata'' (Thunb.) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt – E. Cape Province to KwaZulu-Natal
* '' Albuca bruce-bayeri'' U.Müll.-Doblies – Cape Province
* '' Albuca buchananii'' Baker – S. Tropical Africa
* '' Albuca canadensis'' (L.) F.M.Leight. – Cape Province
* '' Albuca candida'' (Oberm.) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt – Namibia
* '' Albuca caudata'' Jacq. – S.E. Cape Province
* '' Albuca chartacea'' (Mart.-Azorín, M.B.Crespo & A.P.Dold) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt – Eastern Cape Province
* '' Albuca chlorantha'' Welw. ex Baker – Angola
* '' Albuca ciliaris'' U.Müll.-Doblies – W. Cape Province
* '' Albuca clanwilliamae-gloria'' U.Müll.-Doblies – W. Cape Province
* '' Albuca collina'' Baker – S. Cape Province
* '' Albuca comosa'' (Welw. ex Baker) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt – Angola
* '' Albuca concordiana'' Baker – Namibia to Cape Province
* '' Albuca consanguinea'' (Kunth) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt – S.W. Cape Province
* '' Albuca cooperi'' Baker – S.W. Cape Province
* '' Albuca corymbosa'' Baker – S. Cape Province
* '' Albuca costatula'' (U.Müll.-Doblies & D.Müll.-Doblies) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt – Namibia
* '' Albuca craibii'' (Mart.-Azorín, M.B.Crespo & A.P.Dold) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt – North-West Province
* '' Albuca cremnophila'' van Jaarsv. & A.E.van Wyk – S. Cape Province
* '' Albuca crinifolia'' Baker – KwaZulu-Natal
* '' Albuca crispa'' J.C.Manning & Goldblatt – S. Cape Province to Free state
* '' Albuca crudenii'' Archibald – S. Cape Province
* '' Albuca dalyae'' Baker – S. Cape Province
* '' Albuca darlingana'' U.Müll.-Doblies – S.W. Cape Province
* '' Albuca deaconii'' van Jaarsv. – KwaZulu-Natal
* '' Albuca decipiens'' U.Müll.-Doblies – W. Cape Province
* '' Albuca deserticola'' J.C.Manning & Goldblatt – Namibia to N.W. Cape Province
* '' Albuca dilucula'' (Oberm.) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt – Cape Province
* '' Albuca dinteri'' U.Müll.-Doblies – Namibia
* '' Albuca donaldsonii'' Rendle – Ethiopia to Tanzania
* '' Albuca dyeri'' (Poelln.) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt – Cape Province
* '' Albuca echinosperma'' U.Müll.-Doblies – S.W. Cape Province
* '' Albuca engleriana'' K.Krause & Dinter – Namibia
* '' Albuca etesiogaripensis'' U.Müll.-Doblies – Namibia to N.W. Cape Province
* '' Albuca fastigiata'' Dryand. – S. Cape Province
* '' Albuca fibrotunicata'' Gledhill & Oyewole – Niger to Cameroon
* '' Albuca flaccida'' Jacq. – S.W. Cape Province
* '' Albuca foetida'' U.Müll.-Doblies – S.W. Cape Province
* '' Albuca fragrans'' Jacq. – S.W. Cape Province
* '' Albuca gageoides'' K.Krause – Namibia
* '' Albuca galeata'' Welw. ex Baker – Angola
* '' Albuca gariepensis'' J.C.Manning & Goldblatt – N. Cape Province
* '' Albuca gentilii'' De Wild. – Zaïre
* '' Albuca gethylloides'' (U.Müll.-Doblies & D.Müll.-Doblies) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt – W. Cape Province
* '' Albuca gildenhuysii'' (van Jaarsv.) van Jaarsv. - N.W. Cape Province
* '' Albuca glandulifera'' J.C.Manning & Goldblatt – Namibia to N.W. Cape Province
* '' Albuca glandulosa'' Baker – Cape Province
* '' Albuca glauca'' Baker – Northern Province
* '' Albuca glaucifolia'' (U.Müll.-Doblies & D.Müll.-Doblies) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt – W. Cape Province
* '' Albuca goswinii'' U.Müll.-Doblies – S.W. Cape Province
* '' Albuca grandis'' J.C.Manning & Goldblatt – Western Cape Province
* '' Albuca hallii'' U.Müll.-Doblies – Namibia to W. Cape Province
* '' Albuca hereroensis'' Schinz – Namibia
* '' Albuca hesquaspoortensis'' U.Müll.-Doblies – S.W. Cape Province
* '' Albuca homblei'' De Wild. – Zaïre
* '' Albuca humilis'' Baker – Free State to KwaZulu-Natal
* '' Albuca juncifolia'' Baker – S.W. Cape Province
* '' Albuca karachabpoortensis'' (U.Müll.-Doblies & D.Müll.-Doblies) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt – W. Cape Province
* '' Albuca karasbergensis'' Glover – Namibia
* '' Albuca karooica'' U.Müll.-Doblies – Namibia to Cape Province
* '' Albuca katangensis'' De Wild. – S. Zaïre
* '' Albuca kirkii'' (Baker) Brenan – Kenya to S. Tropical Africa
* '' Albuca kirstenii'' (J.C.Manning & Goldblatt) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt – S.W. Cape Province
* '' Albuca knersvlaktensis'' (U.Müll.-Doblies & D.Müll.-Doblies) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt – S.W. Cape Province
* '' Albuca kundelungensis'' De Wild. – Zaïre
* '' Albuca lebaensis'' (van Jaarsv.) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt – Angola
* '' Albuca leucantha'' U.Müll.-Doblies – N.W. Cape Province
* '' Albuca longifolia'' Baker – S. Cape Province
* '' Albuca longipes'' Baker – Cape Province
* '' Albuca macowanii'' Baker – S. Cape Province
* '' Albuca malangensis'' Baker – Angola
* '' Albuca massonii'' Baker – W. Cape Province
* '' Albuca monarchos'' (U.Müll.-Doblies & D.Müll.-Doblies) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt – W. Cape Province
* '' Albuca monophylla'' Baker – Angola to Namibia
* '' Albuca myogaloides'' Welw. ex Baker – Angola
* '' Albuca namaquensis'' Baker – Namibia to Cape Province
* '' Albuca nana'' Schönland – S. Cape Province
* '' Albuca nathoana'' (U.Müll.-Doblies & D.Müll.-Doblies) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt – W. Cape Province
* '' Albuca navicula'' U.Müll.-Doblies – W. Cape Province
* '' Albuca nelsonii'' N.E.Br. – E. Cape Province to KwaZulu-Natal – Nelson's slime lily
* '' Albuca nigritana'' (Baker) Troupin – W. Tropical Africa to Rwanda
* '' Albuca obtusa'' J.C.Manning & Goldblatt – W. Cape Province
* '' Albuca osmynella'' (U.Müll.-Doblies & D.Müll.-Doblies) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt – W. Cape Province
* '' Albuca ovata'' (Thunb.) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt – Cape Province
* '' Albuca papyracea'' J.C.Manning & Goldblatt – Cape Province
* '' Albuca paradoxa'' Dinter – Namibia to W. Cape Province
* '' Albuca paucifolia'' (U.Müll.-Doblies & D.Müll.-Doblies) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt – Cape Province
* '' Albuca pearsonii'' (F.M.Leight.) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt – Namibia to N.W. Cape Province
* '' Albuca pendula'' B.Mathew – S.W. Saudi Arabia
* '' Albuca pendulina'' (U.Müll.-Doblies & D.Müll.-Doblies) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt – Namibia
* '' Albuca pentheri'' (Zahlbr.) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt – Cape Province
* '' Albuca polyodontula'' (U.Müll.-Doblies & D.Müll.-Doblies) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt – Namibia
* '' Albuca polyphylla'' Baker – S. Cape Province
* '' Albuca prasina'' (Ker Gawl.) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt – S. Africa
* '' Albuca prolifera'' J.H.Wilson – S. Cape Province
* '' Albuca psammophora'' (U.Müll.-Doblies & D.Müll.-Doblies) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt – W. Cape Province
* '' Albuca pseudobifolia'' Mart.-Azorín & M.B.Crespo – Eastern Cape Province
* '' Albuca pulchra'' (Schinz) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt – Angola to Botswana
* '' Albuca rautanenii'' (Schinz) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt – Namibia
* ''
Albuca recurva
''Albuca'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae. The genus is distributed mainly in southern and eastern Africa, with some species occurring in northern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Plants of the g ...
The most popular species is ''Albuca nelsonii'', which is evergreen and not frost-hardy. Such species are best suited to temperate areas, but can be grown in a conservatory or greenhouse, or in a sheltered position if light frosts might occur. However, some other species from alpine or Karoo-like areas are fairly frost-resistant and may be deciduous, and accordingly can stand a good deal of frost once established. Some in fact are winter-flowering. As a rule they do well in full sun in light, free-draining soil. Propagate from offsets or seed.