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Boophone disticha
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Photo: Bart Wursten
Globe Rock, Vumba
Photo: Bart Wursten
Globe Rock, Vumba
Photo: Bart Wursten
Main Harare-Mutare road near Rusape.
Photo: Rob Burrett
Silveira House, Chisawasha Mission. Off Arcturus Road beyond Lefarge Cement
Photo: Rob Burrett
Silveira House, Chisawasha Mission. Off Arcturus Road beyond Lefarge Cement
Photo: Rob Jarvis
C. 10km from Rusape along road to Harare
Photo: Bart Wursten
Great Dyke, nr Kopje Tops, Mavhuradonha Wilderness Area
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Species details: Click on each item to see an explanation of that item (Note: opens a new window)
| Synonyms: |
Boophane disticha (L.f.) Herb. Boophone toxicaria (L.f.) Herb. |
| Common names: | Ingcotho (Ndebele) Munzepete (Shona) Tumbleweed (English) Veld fan (English) Windball (English) |
| Frequency: | Common |
| Status: | Native |
| Description: |
Bulb up to 25 cm in diameter, the apex often emergent from the ground. Leaves up to 60 × 1.5-4 cm, greyish-green or glaucous, developing after the flowers. Scape 5-30 cm, with a spherical inflorescence of 50-100 (or more) flowers. Pedicels 3-8 cm at anthesis, elongating to 40 cm in fruit, angular. Flowers pink to dark purple; tube 0.5-2 cm, narrowly funnel-shaped, always shorter than segments; segments 2-3 × 0.2-0.4 cm, recurved towards apex. Capsule up to 3 cm, irregularly dehiscent. |
| Notes: | The flowers (image 3) appear from a large bulb and are very noticeable after veld fires. The dried stalks and fruits of the inflorescence form "tumble weeds" (image 1), which, rolled by the wind, disperse the seeds. The leaves only appear after the flowers are finished and form a distinct upright fan (image 2). |
| Derivation of specific name: | disticha: distichous or 2-ranked, referring to the fan of leaves all held in the same plane. |
| Habitat: | Widespread in open woodland and grassland |
| Altitude range: (metres) | |
| Flowering time: | Sep - Nov |
| Worldwide distribution: | Widespread in eastern and Southern Africa from Uganda and Kenya to South Africa. |
| Zimbabwe distribution: | N,W,C,E,S |
| Growth form(s): | |
| Endemic status: | |
| Red data list status: | |
| Insects associated with this species: | Brithys crini (Larval foodplant) |
| Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
| Literature: |
Bandeira, S., Bolnick, D. & Barbosa, F. (2007). Wild Flowers of Southern Mozambique Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Maputo, Mozambique Page 65. As Boophane disticha (Includes a picture). Baumann, G. (2005). Photographic Guide to Wildflowers of Malawi Wildlife and Environmental Society of Malawi Pages 200 - 201. as Anoiganthus luteus (Includes a picture). Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 287. (Includes a picture). Da Silva, M.C., Izidine, S. & Amude, A.B. (2004). A preliminary checklist of the vascular plants of Mozambique. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 30 Sabonet, Pretoria Page 119. Kirby, G. (2013). Wild Flowers of Southeast Botswana Struik Nature, Cape Town South Africa Page 237. (Includes a picture). Linley, K. & Baker, B. (1972). Flowers of the Veld Bundu Series Longman Zimbabwe Page 19. as Boophane disticha (Includes a picture). Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 84. Plowes, D.C.H. & Drummond, R.B. (1990). Wild Flowers of Zimbabwe. Revised edition. Longman, Zimbabwe. No. 8, plates 21, 22 & 23 Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 112. Zimudzi, C., Archer, R.H., Kwembeya, E.G. & Nordal, I. (2008). Amaryllidacae Flora Zambesiaca 13(1) Pages 115 - 116. (Includes a picture). |
Other sources of information about Boophone disticha:
Our websites:
Flora of Botswana: Boophone distichaFlora of Burundi: Boophone disticha
Flora of Malawi: Boophone disticha
Flora of Mozambique: Boophone disticha
Flora of Zambia: Boophone disticha
External websites:
African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Boophone distichaAfrican Plant Database: Boophone disticha
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Boophone disticha
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Boophone disticha
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Boophone disticha
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Boophone disticha
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Boophone disticha
JSTOR Plant Science: Boophone disticha
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Boophone disticha
Plants of the World Online: Boophone disticha
Tropicos: Boophone disticha
Wikipedia: Boophone disticha
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