''Astroloba'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

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 Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Asphodelaceae Asphodelaceae is a family of flowering plants in the order Asparagales. Such a family has been recognized by most taxonomists, but the circumscription has varied widely. In its current circumscription in the APG IV system, it includes about 40 ...

, subfamily

Asphodeloideae Asphodeloideae is a subfamily of the monocot family Asphodelaceae in the order Asparagales. It has previously been treated as a separate family, Asphodelaceae ''sensu stricto''. The family Asphodelaceae has now been proposed to be a nomen conser ...

,Stevens, P.F. (2001 onwards)
"Asphodeloideae"
''Angiosperm Phylogeny Website'', retrieved 2016-06-10 native to the

Cape Province The Province of the Cape of Good Hope ( af, Provinsie Kaap die Goeie Hoop), commonly referred to as the Cape Province ( af, Kaapprovinsie) and colloquially as The Cape ( af, Die Kaap), was a province in the Union of South Africa and subsequen ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

Naming

Astroloba corrugata - detail of inflorescence 4

The name of the genus is derived from the

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

words ''astros'', star, and ''lobos'', lobe, and refers to the starlike shape of the

petal Petals are modified Leaf, leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often advertising coloration, brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''c ...

s, which appear at the end of the tube-like flowers.

Description

They are very closely related to the genus ''

Haworthia ''Haworthia'' is a large genus of small succulent plants endemic to Southern Africa (Mozambique, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini and South Africa). Like the aloes, they are members of the subfamily Asphodeloideae and they generally resemble mi ...

'', but are distinguished by their flowers being regular and not double-tipped. The flowers are small and white, and appear clustered on slender racemes., p. 17 1 Distribution Map of Astroloba Species - South Africa

1 Distribution Map of Astroloba Species - South Africa

They bear very regular, sharp, triangular, succulent leaves along their symmetrical columnar stems. The leaves are in a number of distinctive spiral arrangements. They are slow growing, multi-stemmed, and their longer stems tend to sprawl in their rocky natural habitat. Within the genus, various subgroupings can be recognised, based on shared characteristics. The ''Foliolosa'' Complex (including the entities ''robusta'', ''foliolosa'' and ''congesta'') can be distinguished by the glossy sheen to their leaves, and by their flowers with long bracts, short pedicels, smooth perianth tubes and broad cream-white lobes.

Distribution and habitat

These species are restricted to the dryer inland regions of the southern Cape,

. In their arid natural habitat, they tend to favour semi-shade positions, with well-drained soil and winter rainfall.

Species

, the

World Checklist of Selected Plant Families The World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (usually abbreviated to WCSP) is an "international collaborative programme that provides the latest peer reviewed and published opinions on the accepted scientific names and synonyms of selected plan ...

accepted twelve species. An overall list of species recognised include the following:Search for "Astroloba", *'' Astroloba bullulata'' (Jacq.) Uitewaal *'' Astroloba pentagona'' (Haw.) Uitewaal (="hallii" nom. nud.) *'' Astroloba congesta'' (Salm-Dyck) Uitewaal *''

Astroloba corrugata ''Astroloba corrugata'' is a small succulent plant of the Astroloba genus, endemic to the Little Karoo and the far south of the Western Cape, South Africa. Naming This plant has been known by several names in its history. It was named ''"Astro ...

'' N.L.Mey. & Gideon F.Sm. *'' Astroloba cremnophila'' van Jaarsv. *'' Astroloba foliolosa'' (Haw.) Uitewaal *'' Astroloba herrei'' Uitewaal *'' Astroloba robusta'' P.Reinecke ex Molteno, Van Jaarsv. & Gideon F.Sm. *'' Astroloba rubriflora'' (L.Bolus) Gideon F.Sm. & J.C.Manning (also known as ''Poellnitzia rubriflora'') *'' Astroloba spiralis'' (L.) Uitewaal *'' Astroloba spirella'' (Haw.) Molteno & Gideon F.Sm. (="smutsiana" nom. nud.) *'' Astroloba tenax'' Molteno, van Jaarsv. & Gideon F.Sm. Natural hybrids of these species occur, and there are several varieties which are unresolved as to whether they constitute intermediate forms, hybrids or separate species. In addition there are naturally occurring hybrids between species of ''Astroloba'' and ''

Tulista ''Tulista'' is a small genus of succulent plants endemic to South Africa. They were formerly included within the genus ''Haworthia''. Characteristics The genus is characterised by a large size (relative to other haworthias), by their stemless ro ...

'' (formerly ''Haworthia Robustipedunculares''), including the well-known ones named ''

× Astrolista bicarinata The multiplication sign, also known as the times sign or the dimension sign, is the symbol , used in mathematics to denote the multiplication operation and its resulting product. While similar to a lowercase X (), the form is properly a four- ...

'' (formerly ''x Astroworthia bicarinata / skinneri'') which are crosses between ''

'' and ''

Tulista pumila ''Tulista pumila'' ("Vratjiesaalwee") is a species of ''Tulista'' succulent plant, from the Western Cape, South Africa. It was formerly placed in the genus ''Haworthia'', as ''Haworthia pumila'' or ''Haworthia maxima''. Description It is an eve ...

''.G.Smith, E.Figeueiredo, S.Molteno (2017): ''xAstrolista: A new name for the South African endemic nothogenus x Astroworthia''. Bradleya 35, pp. 195-200.
/ref> File:2 Astroloba rubriflora in cultivation - small.jpg, '' Astroloba rubriflora'' File:Astroloba aspera.jpg, ''

'' File:Astroloba bullulata in cultivation - Cape Town.jpg, '' Astroloba bullulata'' File:Astroloba pentagona - RSA5.jpg, '' Astroloba pentagona'' (="hallii") File:1 Astroloba spirella - S Rooinek.jpg, '' Astroloba spirella'' (="smutsiana") File:Astroloba spiralis in cultivation - Cape Town.jpg, '' Astroloba spiralis'' File:1 Cream Astroloba herrei.jpg, '' Astroloba herrei'' File:Astroloba robusta - witteberg.jpg, '' Astroloba robusta'' File:Astroloba foliolosa - South African Succulent.jpg, '' Astroloba foliolosa'' File:Astroloba congesta - Eastern Cape - South Africa.JPG, '' Astroloba congesta'' File:Astroloba tenax 6.jpg, '' Astroloba tenax''

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q143443 Asphodelaceae genera Succulent plants