Astroloba

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Astroloba
Astroloba corrugata

Astroloba corrugata

Systematics
Class : Bedecktsamer (Magnoliopsida)
Monocots
Order : Asparagales (Asparagales)
Family : Grass trees (Xanthorrhoeaceae)
Subfamily : Affodilla family (Asphodeloideae)
Genre : Astroloba
Scientific name
Astroloba
Uitewaal

Astroloba is a genus of plants from the subfamily of the Affodill family (Asphodeloideae). The botanical name of the genus is derived from the Greek words aster , astros for 'star' and lobos for 'tip' and refers to the star-shaped tips of the corolla. The species arenativeto South Africa.

description

Vegetative characteristics

The species of the genus Astroloba are small herbaceous , perennial , slow-growing, succulent plants. They sprout from the base or form small or large tufts through underground stolons , which over time form upright or creeping stems. Their succulent roots are round.

The numerous, upright-spreading leaves are arranged alternately or in a spiral shape, overlap each other like tiles and are stem-encompassing at their base. Their leathery, light to dark green to glaucous green leaf blade is deltoid and tapered-pointed or triangular. The top of the leaf is flat or convex and occasionally dashed in red. The underside of the leaf is convex and usually has a conspicuous asymmetrical keel, which extends over two thirds of the leaf length. The leaf margins and the keel are sharp or slightly rounded, smooth or serrated. The tip of the leaf is pointed and sometimes ends in an attached tip. The surfaces are smooth or warty and green or brownish.

Inflorescences and flowers

The inflorescence is a loose-flowered panicle or grape 10 to 40 centimeters in length. Occasionally associated branches or buds arise from the axillae . The smooth flower stem is simple or branched. There are bracts in the lower, sterile part. The membranous, persistent bracts are triangular or long, pointed, tapered and keeled. They have one to three brownish green or pink central veins. The flowers are on a short, upright peduncle . They are erect, tubular, regular and more or less straight. Sometimes located on the sides of the perianth inflated fabric hump. The six tepals are fused together at their base. They are free above that, but adjoining one another. The conspicuously veined tepals are usually monochrome in dull shades. They are often dirty green and white, rarely cream, beige, yellow or pink. Their petals are short. The six stamens are shorter than the inflorescence and do not or hardly protrude from it. The yellowish white stamens are thread-thin. The yellow, dorsifix anthers tear open lengthways and are intrors. The off-white, straight, kopfige stylus is pfriemlich and about 4 millimeters long. The tiny scar is apical.

Fruits and seeds

The fruits are cylindrical, elongated to blunt or egg-shaped to pointed, triple capsule fruits , which tear open lengthways. They are about 12 millimeters long and 5 to 6 millimeters wide. The fruits contain angular, dark brown to black, laterally compressed and indistinctly winged seeds about 4 millimeters long.

distribution

The genus Astroloba is common in the South African provinces of the Western Cape and Eastern Cape .

Systematics

External system

Astroloba belongs to the monophyletic group of the Alooideae (until 2009 a subfamily of the Asphodelaceae) within the subfamily of the Affodilla plants . Based on selected morphological features, the following cladogram was derived in 1991 on the possible phylogenetic relationship of the genus Astroloba :

 Alooideae 

Aloe (including Lomatophyllum )


   

Poellnitzia


   

Gasteria


   

Astroloba


   

Haworthia


   

Chortolirion







Astroloba is similar in terms of flowers to the genus Haworthia , especially its subgenus Robustipedunculares . The main differences are the stem-forming growth, the regular flowers and the leaves arranged in more or less clearly recognizable rows.

Internal system

The first description of the genus Astroloba was made in 1809 by Antonius Josephus Adrianus Uitewaal . Its type is Astroloba spiralis var. Pentagona Aiton (1789). The genus includes the following species:

A synonym is Apicra Haw. (1819, nom. Illeg. ICBN -Article 53.1)

Generic hybrids

Species of the genus Astroloba are to genus hybrid (intergeneric hybrids) involved:

  • × Algastoloba D.M.Cumming
    = Aloe × Astroloba × Gasteria
  • × Aloloba G.D.Rowley
    = Aloe × Astroloba
  • × Astroworthia G.D. Rowley
    = Astroloba × Haworthia
  • × Gastroloba D.M. Cumming
    = Astroloba × Gasteria
  • × Maysara D.M. Cumming
    = Astroloba × Gasteria × Haworthia

proof

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Urs Eggli, Leonard E. Newton: Etymological Dictionary of Succulent Plant Names . Springer, Berlin / Heidelberg 2010, ISBN 978-3-642-05597-3 , p. 17.
  2. ^ A b c d Nicole L. Meyer, Gideon F. Smith : Astroloba . In: Urs Eggli (Hrsg.): Succulent lexicon. Monocotyledons . Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart 2001, ISBN 3-8001-3662-7 , pp. 194 .
  3. ^ Gideon F. Smith, Ben-Erik Van Wyk: Generic Relationships in the Alooideae (Asphodelaceae) . P. 570.
  4. ↑ AJA Uitewaal: Revisie van de nomenclatuur the genera Haworthia en Apicra . In: Succulenta . Number 5, 1947, pp. 51-54.
  5. ↑ Urs Eggli (Ed.): Succulents Lexicon. Monocotyledons . Pp. 194-196.

Web links

Commons : Astroloba  - collection of images, videos and audio files