Aloes and Lilies of Ethiopia and Eritrea

Description
Habitat and
distribution
Anthericum jamesii
Description
Habitat and
distribution
ANTHERICUM 131
Plants 10–20 cm high. Leaves linear, 5–25 × 0.2–0.8 cm, often
ciliate margins, more or less succulent. Peduncles often several to a
plant, 3–15 cm long, glabrous, Inflorescence a simple raceme, 3–6
cm long with 3–12 flowers. Pedicels semi-patent, 5–25 mm long,
elongating to 40 mm with age. Flowers white with green stripes
on the outside; tepals 9–10 × 2–3 mm. Capsule slightly ridged, but
not verrucose, 4–8 mm long, subglobose with a rounded triangular
cross section. Seeds 2–3 mm in diameter.
The species grows in clumps in grassland, bushland and
more or less degraded Acacia-Combretum woodland,
also in destroyed former Juniperus forest; on black soils,
seasonally waterlogged, or on lighter brownish to reddish
soils; often in areas heavily grazed and eroded, between
1000 and 2850 m. It is recorded in the Harerge, Bale and
Sidamo floristic regions. It has otherwise been recorded
from Somalia, Kenya and Northern Tanzania. The
flowering period in Ethiopia appears to be two-peaked;
flowering specimens have been collected in April and in
November.
2. Anthericum jamesii Baker
The species epithet ‘jamesii’ refers to one of the two
persons who collected the plant for the first time, that
are the pioneers James and Thrupp, in Somalia in the late
19 th century. It was described by Baker in 1898, and it has
only rarely been collected later.
Plants, up to 15 cm. Leaves sheathing into a neck, 3–5 cm long,
linear, 10–15 × ca. 1 cm, with scabrid margins. Peduncle (above
the neck) 2–4 cm long. Inflorescence a raceme, often with one or
two basal branches, 5–10 cm long with 10–15 flowers. Pedicels
semipatent, c. 10 mm long at anthesis, elongating with age. Flowers
similar to those of A. corymbosum. Capsules distinctly verrucose,
otherwise similar to those of A. corymbosum.
This is a rare species growing in clearings in bush,
temporarily waterlogged on red sandy soil around 800
m, in the Harerge floristic region, and it is otherwise
only known from adjacent parts of Somalia and Kenya.
Flowering specimens have only been observed in
October.