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Aloes and Lilies of Ethiopia and Eritrea

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114 ASPHODELACEAE<br />

Kniph<strong>of</strong>ia pumila<br />

Description<br />

Fig. 60.<br />

Kniph<strong>of</strong>ia<br />

pumila, from<br />

Wellega.<br />

1. Kniph<strong>of</strong>ia pumila (Aiton) Kunth<br />

The specific epithet ‘pumila’, meaning small, is not<br />

easily to relate to a robust plant like this. The species<br />

was described by Aiton in 1789 as Aletris pumila, <strong>and</strong><br />

later transferred to Kniph<strong>of</strong>ia by Kunth in 1843. It was<br />

also known by the name Kniph<strong>of</strong>ia comosa described by<br />

Hochstetter in 1844 from plants collected in Jan Meda<br />

(Dchara Meda) in Gonder floristic region by Schimper.<br />

The species is related to the common K. foliosa, but is<br />

easily distinguished by the bell­shaped perianth, 10–14(–<br />

18) mm long <strong>and</strong> the flowers opening from top downwards<br />

(centrifugal). In contrast, K. foliosa has a funnel­shaped<br />

to tubular perianth, 18–27 mm long, <strong>and</strong> the flowers are<br />

opening from bottom upwards (centripetal).<br />

Plants slender, solitary with erect, corm­like root­stock, with some<br />

fibrous remains <strong>of</strong> leaves at the base. Leaves (15–)30–100 × 0.5–2<br />

cm, linear, dark to greyish green, keeled; keels <strong>and</strong> margin smooth<br />

or minutely tuberculate, but not scabrid. Peduncle (including<br />

raceme) 30–90 cm long. Raceme cylindrical, 4–15 cm long (to 18<br />

cm long in fruit), very dense, >15 flowers per cm. Bracts white,<br />

lanceolate to ovate­lanceolate, 3–10 × 1.5–5 mm, serrulate. Perianth<br />

yellow, orange, pale red to vermillion, campanulate, 9–13 mm long

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