Aloes and Lilies of Ethiopia and Eritrea

CHLOROPHYTUM 137
- At least some of the lower nodes of the inflorescence with 2 or more flowers 10
6. Flowers subsessile, the very short pedicels articulated at the apex; perianth
± bell-shaped, tepals erect and papillate inside in a zone just above the ovary,
each tepal with 1 vein. 3. C. silvaticum
- Flowers distinctly pedicellate, the pedicels articulated below the apex;
perianth glabrous with ± patent tepals, each with 3 veins. 7
7. Flowers zygomorphic with tepals longer than 10 mm; capsule usually at least
10 mm long 6. C. somaliense
- Flowers regular with tepals shorter than 7 mm; capsule less than 8 mm long 8
8. Plants with trailing inflorescence axis, longer than 10 cm; plantlets present
in the inflorescence (‘pseudovivipary’) 22. C. serpens
- Plants with erect inflorescences axis, shorter than 7 cm, plantlets absent in the
inflorescence 9
9. Pedicels articulated near the middle; inflorescence ± pubesent; capsules
trigonous with shallow lobes; seeds about 2 mm wide 7. C. bifolium
- Pedicels articulated near the apex; inflorescence glabrous; capsules triquetrous
with winglike compartments; seeds 3–4 mm wide 8. C. pterocarpum
10. Leaves filiform, 0.1–0.3 cm wide, folded; tepals up to 5 mm long
9. C. inconspicuum
- Leaves lanceolate, more than 0.3 cm wide; tepals more than 5 mm long 11
11. Tepals 6–9 mm wide, with 9 or more veins 10. C. tuberosum
- Tepals less than 6 mm wide, with 3–5(–7) veins 12
12. Pedicels stiffly patent, with joint in the upper part, the lower ones more
than 15 mm long 11. C. zavattarii
- Pedicels not stiffly patent, with joint near the middle or in the lower half,
up to 10 mm long 13
13. Peduncle and inflorescence prostrate, displaying the flowers on the ground 14
- Peduncle and inflorescence erect, flowers displayed above-ground 15
14. Roots wiry with tubers on short lateral branches; leaves distichous, glabrous
up to 1 cm wide; inflorescence unbranched (rarely with one basal branch);
bracts inconspicuous, up to 4 mm long 12. C. humifusum
- Roots fleshy without tubers; leaves rosulate with cilia along margins and
on the nerves below, more than 2 cm wide; inflorescence much branched;
bracts large, more than 1 cm long 13. C. herrmannii