Geissorhiza Aspera
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''Geissorhiza aspera'', also known as the blue satin flower or blou sysie, is a
geophyte A storage organ is a part of a plant specifically modified for storage of energy (generally in the form of carbohydrates) or water. Storage organs often grow underground, where they are better protected from attack by herbivores. Plants that have ...
from
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 ...
.


Description

This velvety-stemmed geophyte grows tall. Plants may, however, be larger or smaller than the typical range. Both the soil conditions and moisture play a role in height.e-Flora of South Africa. v1.42. 2023. South African National Biodiversity Institute. http://ipt.sanbi.org.za/iptsanbi/resource?r=flora_descriptions&v=1.42 Each plant may branch up to three times, although branching is not always present. The corm is covered in woody tunics. The sword-shaped leaves have thickened margins and midribs. Normally plants will have three leaves, each of which is about the same length as the stem or slightly longer. Star-shaped flowers are present in August and September. It flowers best after a wet winter. Each inflorescence has between three and seven flowers. They are usually dark blue or violet in colour, sometimes with a darker center. The northern populations (
Olifants River Valley Olifant, Oliphant, Olyphant and similar variations may refer to: Geography * Oliphant, Ontario, Canada, a community *Oliphant Islands, South Orkney Islands *Olifants River (Limpopo), South Africa *Olifants River (Southern Cape), South Africa *Ol ...
, Gifberg and near Bitterfontein) are often white. These flowers may still be blue on the outsides of the tepals. The filaments are usually not all the same length, particularly in northern populations. The green floral bracts dry and turn a rusty brown at the tips as the flowers open. Plants typically seed in October.


Distribution and habitat

This species is endemic to
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 ...
. This species was believed to be limited to the
Western Cape The Western Cape is a province of South Africa, situated on the south-western coast of the country. It is the fourth largest of the nine provinces with an area of , and the third most populous, with an estimated 7 million inhabitants in 2020 ...
until 2012, when a population in Namaqualand in the
Northern Cape The Northern Cape is the largest and most sparsely populated province of South Africa. It was created in 1994 when the Cape Province was split up. Its capital is Kimberley. It includes the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park, part of the Kgalagadi T ...
. It is found growing between Gifberg and Agulhas, where it is most common on moist sandy soils at altitudes of .


Ecology

The flowers are most commonly pollinated by money beetles, which are attracted the darker area at the center of the flower. It is also known to be pollinated by the
Cape honey bee The Cape honey bee or Cape bee (''Apis mellifera capensis'') is a southern South African subspecies of the western honey bee. They play a major role in South African agriculture and the economy of the Western Cape by pollinating crops and produc ...
, a Braunsapsis species, '' Anisonyx ursus'', a bombyllidae species and '' Anthophora diversipes''.


Conservation

This species is classified as being of least concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) as it is common and widespread. It is also able to tolerate disturbance and is common in disturbed habitats, such as roadsides and parks.


References


External links

* * aspera Endemic flora of the Cape Provinces Plants described in 1970 {{Iridaceae-stub