Aloes and Lilies of Ethiopia and Eritrea

132 ANTHERICACEAE
Fig. 69.
Anthericum
neghellense,
from near
Negelle, Sidamo
floristic region.
Anthericum
neghellense
Description
Habitat and
distribution
3. Anthericum neghellense (Cufodontis) Bjorå &
Sebsebe
The species epithet refers to Negelle, a township in the
Sidamo region, from where Cufodontis collected the
plant which he described in the genus Chlorophytum in
1939. Molecular analyses and a further analyses of the
inflorescence morphology have revealed that it belongs
in a monophyletic group together with the other African
representatives of Anthericum. Bjorå & Sebsebe have
accordingly made the formal transfer to the genus where
it belongs. It can be recognised from the other Anthericum
species by its completely prostrate life form, i.e. leaves,
flowers and fruits lying flat on the ground (which might
be an adaption to avoid her bivory).
Small prostrate plants. Rhizome horizontal with fiber remnants from
old leaves; roots thin with small (ca. 1 × 0.3 cm) tubers on lateral
root branches. Leaves rosulate, lanceolate, obtuse with a hyaline,
ciliate, often crisply undulate margin, 6–20 × 1.5–2.5 cm. Peduncle
2–3 (–5) cm, prostrate. Inflorescence unbranched, or rarely with
one basal branch, 4–12 cm long, flat on the ground. Bracts large
and leaf­like, with several veins, ciliate margin, up to 15 × 5 mm.
Flowers 2–4 at each node. Pedicels curved, c. 10 mm at anthesis,
elongating in fruit stage. Flowers white, tepals patent, c. 8 mm long
with 3–5 veins. Stamens shorter than the tepals, and filaments c. 4
mm, anthers shorter and coiled after anthesis. Infru tescence more
or less hidden under the leaves; capsules trigonous, slightly ridged,
6–8 × 4–5 mm, seeds irregularly folded, 2 mm across.
The species belongs in Acacia-Combre tum-Commiphora
dominated woodland to degraded bushland, often heavily