Aloes and Lilies of Ethiopia and Eritrea

Anthericum
tetraphyllum
Description
Fig. 70.
Anthericum
tetraphyllum,
from Entoto,
Shewa floristic
region.
ANTHERICUM 133
grazed, on red (rarely black) sandy soils between 1050
and 1700 m. It only occurs in Sidamo and Bale floristic
regions, not known anywhere else. The main flowering
period is two­peaked, like in other south Ethiopian
geophy tes, March to April and October to November. The
fruits and seeds are hidden under the leaves of the mother
plant, indicating some kind of dispersal mechanism by
ants or other small animals. More studies are needed.
4. Anthericum tetraphyllum (L.f.) Nordal &
Sebsebe
The species epithet ‘tetraphyllum’ means four-leaved,
although this is not an absolute trait, the number will most
often be more than four. It was described as early as 1781
by the son of Linnaeus, based on material from Yemen.
He placed it in the genus Scilla. It was later transferred
to Chlo rophytum by Baker in 1876. Recent analyses have
shown that it belongs in a group of African Anthericum
species, to which it has been transferred by Nordal and
Sebsebe (2010). It appears to be closest related to A.
neghellense, but the inflorescence is not prostrate, but it
is more contracted. The two species share the btrait of
having fruits and seeds hidden below the leaves.
Small plants. Rhizome short; roots swollen, often also with elongated
tubers up to 4 cm long. Leaves rosulate, lanceolate, acute, with a
hyaline ciliate margin, 3–25 × 1–3 cm. Peduncle reduced, hidden
amongst the leaf bases. Floral bracts large and leaf­like, with several
strong veins, 20–40 × 2–4 mm. Rachis most often reduced making
the inflorescence umbel-like, sometimes a few umbel-like clusters
along an up to 1 cm axis. Pedicels recurved, (15–) 25­30 mm.
Flowers white, tepals patent to reflexed, 6–8 mm, 3-veined. Stamens