Babiana spathacea

Babiana spathacea (L.f.) Ker Gawl., Bot. Mag. 17: t. 638 (1803). Gawler notes; "Babiana Spathacea. Stiff-Leaved Babiana. ....Leaves narrow, linear-lanceolate, villose, (those of old plants with us commonly naked, but those of the younger bulbs always pubescent) very rigid, deeply plicate, terminating in an awn-like prickle, petioles long, widened at their bases. Stem from four inches to near three feet high, with from two to four adpressed branches and an upper spathe-like bracte or cauline leaf with a very long awn ; rachis scarcely flexuose, many- flowered. Spathes imbricate-distich, largish, somewhat mem-branous, naked, smooth, twice fhorter than the corolla, awned-acuminate and sometimes torn. Corolla narrow-funnel-formed, upright : tube filiform, straight : segments divided to the tube, than which they are twice shorter, linear-oblong, alternate ones inclined to lanceolate, all regularly patent, turbinately contracted downwards, three of them generally terminated by a soft mucro. Anthers incumbent, linear, above the bafe of the segments, beneath the stigmas. In some luxuriant dried native specimens the spathes are pellucid and their awns something longer than with us. The leasl pubefcent of its family yet known to us. Found by Thunberg at the Cape in Bockland and Hantum flowering during our winter months. As yet, we suppose, only in the collection of Mr. Alderman Wibbert, at Clapham, by whom it has been lately imported and with whom it flowered in June laft, most probably for the first time in Europe. G.

---

Please do not enter images that are not your own without owners' permission, this is against Wiki policy

"Although the Encyclopedia is free to all, it is supported by Emembership in AIS, If you would like to help sustain this reference, for $15 you can become an Emember, click here."

Interested in Iris Species? Please visit the: Species Iris Group of North America website.

---

---

-- BobPries - 2013-12-12