Haemanthus dasyphyllus
Encyclopedia
Haemanthus dasyphyllus ('dasyphyllus': Greek 'downy/shaggy leaf') is an endemic South Africa
n bulbous geophyte in the genus Haemanthus
, found near Loeriesfontein in Namaqualand
.
H. dasyphyllus was discovered on Langberg and Kubiskouberg north-west of Loeriesfontein and first described by Deidré Snijman in 1984. The localities are on shale outcrops some 900m above sea level with an annual rainfall of 100-200mm. As the specific name implies, the lanceolate
leaves are covered by soft, white hairs on either both surfaces, the lower surface or the margins. The leaves are held erect, are twisted and spotted with red at the base. The flowerhead is bright red and enclosed by 5-6 spathe valves. Peduncles are occasionally covered in soft, white hairs. Bulb
s have imbricate and distichous tunics.
First collections of the plant were by Rudolf Marloth
on the Kubiskouberg in 1926 and by J.P.H. Acocks in 1956. The specimens were filed under H. pubescens and H. tigrinus and temporarily forgotten until 1982 when M.B. Bayer collected some bulbs from the same vicinity. It soon became clear that the material was from a new species.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n bulbous geophyte in the genus Haemanthus
Haemanthus
Haemanthus is a Southern African genus of Amaryllidaceae, subfamily Amaryllidoideae, with some 22 known species, endemic to South Africa, Namibia and the kingdoms of Lesotho and Swaziland...
, found near Loeriesfontein in Namaqualand
Namaqualand
Namaqualand is an arid region of Namibia and South Africa, extending along the west coast over and covering a total area of 170,000 square miles/440,000 km². It is divided by the lower course of the Orange River into two portions - Little Namaqualand to the south and Great Namaqualand to the...
.
H. dasyphyllus was discovered on Langberg and Kubiskouberg north-west of Loeriesfontein and first described by Deidré Snijman in 1984. The localities are on shale outcrops some 900m above sea level with an annual rainfall of 100-200mm. As the specific name implies, the lanceolate
Leaf shape
In botany, leaf shape is characterised with the following terms :* Acicular : Slender and pointed, needle-like* Acuminate : Tapering to a long point...
leaves are covered by soft, white hairs on either both surfaces, the lower surface or the margins. The leaves are held erect, are twisted and spotted with red at the base. The flowerhead is bright red and enclosed by 5-6 spathe valves. Peduncles are occasionally covered in soft, white hairs. Bulb
Bulb
A bulb is a short stem with fleshy leaves or leaf bases. The leaves often function as food storage organs during dormancy.A bulb's leaf bases, known as scales, generally do not support leaves, but contain food reserves to enable the plant to survive adverse conditions. At the center of the bulb is...
s have imbricate and distichous tunics.
First collections of the plant were by Rudolf Marloth
Rudolf Marloth
Hermann Wilhelm Rudolf Marloth 28 December 1855 Lübben, Germany - 15 May 1931 Caledon, Cape Province was a German-born South African botanist, pharmacist and analytical chemist, best known for his Flora of South Africa which appeared in six superbly illustrated volumes between 1913 and 1932...
on the Kubiskouberg in 1926 and by J.P.H. Acocks in 1956. The specimens were filed under H. pubescens and H. tigrinus and temporarily forgotten until 1982 when M.B. Bayer collected some bulbs from the same vicinity. It soon became clear that the material was from a new species.