Albuca Hereroensis

''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 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 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 tepals 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 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 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'' at times, but molecular phylogenetics 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'' 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

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