Stemless, coarse, evergreen, drought-hardy perennials, strongly rhizomatous and forming colonies. Rhizome cylindric, thick and fibrous. Leaves sessile, arranged in a rosette or distichously. Inflorescence a dense, cylindric raceme. Flowers numerous, subsessile, in irregular clusters along the scape, nocturnal, delicately scented. Perianth with a long narrow tube, bulbous at base, with 6 spreading to recurved lobes. Fruit a berry. Seeds 1-3, bony. Derivation of name: after Ramond de Sangro, born at Naples 1710, Prince of Sanseviero Worldwide: Over 100 species in the dry tropics and South Africa, Madagascar, south Asia and Arabia Zimbabwe: 14 taxa. |
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