Aloes and Lilies of Ethiopia and Eritrea

124 ASPHODELACEAE
Fig. 67. Jodrellia
macrocarpa,
from Sof Omar,
Bale floristic
region.
Description
inflated fruits and warty (verrucose) seeds. In the Flora of
Ethiopia and Eritrea this species was wrongly referred to
Jodrellia miguirtina (Chiov.) Baijnath, a species described
from Somalia. Mats Thulin,who revised the genus for the
Flora of Somalia, observed, however, that this species
apparently has smooth seeds. The difference between J.
fistulosa and J. mi guirtina thus becomes unclear. And if
the postulated non-inflated fruits of J. fistulosa turn out to
be due to the young stage of the only known collection in
Ethiopia (see above), then also J. macrocarpa will have
to be sunk into J. fistulosa. More studies are needed!
Erect perennial herb 15–40 cm tall. Rhizome short with many
fleshy roots. Leaves glabrous succulent, terete, 20–38 × 0.2–0.6
cm. Inflorescence racemose. Scape (including the inflorescence)
7–18 cm long, shorter than the leaves. Raceme 2–6 cm long,
dense; pedicels 8.5–16 mm long, slender, recurved. Bracts white,
transparent, 4–5( –8) × 1 2 mm, lanceolate, cuspidate. Tepals
whitish to pinkish, with apex slightly cucullate, outer, 3–5 × 1–1.5
mm, narrowly elliptical, 3–5­veined; inner 3–4.5 × 0.6–1 mm, oneveined.
Filaments ca. 2 mm long, densely covered with long hairs in
the apical part; anthers c. 2 mm. Capsule inflated and globose, 8–15
× 8–15 mm, indehiscent (?); seeds 1–2 dark–brown, 4–4.5 × 2–2.5
mm, with verrucose surface.