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''Bowiea'' is a genus of bulbous, perennial, succulent plants which thrive in dry and desert regions of eastern and southern Africa. It is native to a region stretching from Kenya to Cape Province.Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
/ref> The genus contains a single species, ''Bowiea volubilis''. The genus is named after the nineteenth-century British plant collector at Kew, James Bowie.
The plants have many overlapping scales, which form a tight, pale green, spherical bulb that grows to 8 in (20 cm) above the soil, sending up a twining fresh-green branched stem with few linear deciduous leaves. Dormant in winter, when the outer scales and many of the scale tips dry to a paper-like state, the plants burst to growth in late spring or summer, producing one or more very fast-growing stems that needs to be supported by a trellis or stake. The stems are covered with many leafless side-branches that may fall off. The small greenish-white flowers appear in spring.
Botanica Sistematica
{{commons, Bowiea volubilis Scilloideae Monotypic Asparagaceae genera Flora of Africa Taxa named by Joseph Dalton Hooker
/ref> The genus contains a single species, ''Bowiea volubilis''. The genus is named after the nineteenth-century British plant collector at Kew, James Bowie.
Description
The plants have many overlapping scales, which form a tight, pale green, spherical bulb that grows to 8 in (20 cm) above the soil, sending up a twining fresh-green branched stem with few linear deciduous leaves. Dormant in winter, when the outer scales and many of the scale tips dry to a paper-like state, the plants burst to growth in late spring or summer, producing one or more very fast-growing stems that needs to be supported by a trellis or stake. The stems are covered with many leafless side-branches that may fall off. The small greenish-white flowers appear in spring.
Species
One species is recognized, with two subspecies *''Bowiea volubilis'' (climbing-onion, sea onion) **''Bowiea volubilis'' subsp. ''gariepensis'' (van Jaarsv.) Bruyns – Namibia, Cape Province **''Bowiea volubilis'' subsp. ''volubilis'' – from Cape Province to KenyaCultivation
The plants prefer gritty well-drained soil in partial sun to shade. Water regularly during the growing season, and rarely if at all during dormancy. Propagate from seed, divisions, or from individual scales which once removed, will eventually form numerous bulbils.References
External links
* * Graf, Alfred Byrd (1986) Tropica: color cyclopedia of exotic plants and trees for warm-region horticulture–in cool climate the summer garden or sheltered indoors; 3rd ed. East Rutherford, N.J.: Roehrs Co *Lord, Tony (2003) Flora : The Gardener's Bible : More than 20,000 garden plants from around the world. London: Cassell.Botanica Sistematica
{{commons, Bowiea volubilis Scilloideae Monotypic Asparagaceae genera Flora of Africa Taxa named by Joseph Dalton Hooker