Aloes and Lilies of Ethiopia and Eritrea

Description
Habitat and
distribution
Chlorophytum
nubicum
Description
CHLOROPHYTUM 143
large flowers, 2.5–3.5 cm in diameter, compared to most
other Chlorophytum species.
Very robust plants 60–200 cm tall, from a thick moniliform rhizome,
roots spongy without tubers. Leaves several, basal, distichous (might
appear more rosulate in older stages), linear to narrow lanceolate
45–105 × 1.5–3 cm, acute, sheathing below, margin often shortly
ciliate, with a more or less distinct midrib. Peduncle glabrous, up
to 1 m long and with a diameter of about 1 cm at the base, with
clasping leaves 4–15 cm long. Inflorescence a simple or branched
raceme, glabrous; flowers 1–4 at each node; pedicels 4–9 mm long,
glabrous, articulated near or below the middle, green below and
whitish above the articulation. Tepals spreading, subequal, 3­veined,
white with greenish stripe on the outside, the inner ones 12–17 ×
4–6 mm, the outer slightly narrower. Filaments fusiform, glabrous,
8–10 mm long; anthers 5–8 mm, slightly curved apically at anthesis.
Style declinate, exserted. Capsule deeply 3­lobed, smooth, 9–14 ×
7–9 mm, with the perianth persistent at the base. Seeds thin, flat,
black, ca. 2.5–4 mm across.
The species is found in grassy slopes, thicket or evergreen
forest, sometimes in ravines or near ditches, on more or
less loamy, dark brown to reddish soils, between 1200
and 3000 m. This prominent and showy species is nearendemic
in Ethi opia, occurring in the Bale and Harerge
floristic regions. It is otherwise found in Eritrea. There is
a slight intraspecific variation: The populations in Eritrea
lack the ciliate leaves characterizing the more sou thern
popu la tions. Subspecific recognition might be justi fied.
The main flowering period is September to November.
5. Chlorophytum nubicum (Baker) Kativu
The species epithet refers to Nubia, which is the region
along the Nile in northern Sudan and southern Egypt.
In ancient times it was an independent kingdom. It was
described by Baker in 1878 in the genus Anthericum,
based on material collected in the Sudan. Kativu (1993)
transferred it to the genus Chlorophytum, due to the
traits of the complex inflorescence nodes. The species
is unique within the flora area by producing flowers and
fruits before the leaves develop.
Plants, loosely tufted, 10–40 cm high. Rhizome thick, monoliform,
often carrying fibrous remains of old leaf bases. Roots spongy and
thick. Leaves in a rosette, glabrous, up to 25 × 0.5 cm; margin
minutely papillate to ciliate. Peduncle with small bractlike leaves
along its entire length. Inflorescence unbranched. Pedicels, up to