Aloes and Lilies of Ethiopia and Eritrea

184 HYACINTHACEAE
Chemistry and
use
Conservation
Key to the genera
in the bottom of the flower. Colour and scent are the chief
floral attractions. One of the genera, Drimiopsis, has
more or less closed flowers, but produce both nectar and
smell, and they are probably pollinated by robust insects
that manage to force their probosces into the flowers to
reach the nectar.
Most species have upright scapes and capsules
oriented upwards, with apical splits. These are typical
traits of ballistic dispersal, which means that the seeds
are thrown out of the capsule by heavy wind or pushes
by animals. Some species, however, have lax scapes and
place the seeds on the ground, not dispersed or to be
further dispersed by smaller animals like ants.
The family includes several taxa with cardio­active
steroids (bufo dieno lids in Drimia and cardenolids in
Ornithogalum). The family includes several ornamentals
of commercial value, as the hyacinths. None of the
Ethiopian species have so far been used in horticulture,
but a few might have a potential.
Of the 21 Ethiopian species, three are endemic (Drimia
exigua, Drimia simensis, and Ledebouria urceolata) and
two are near­endemic (Drimiopsis spicata and Ledebouria
somaliensis), indicating a total (near­) endemicity of
about 25%. The mentioned taxa should be surveyed and
possibly protected.
1. Inflorescence much branched; leaves lacking or strongly reduced 1. Schizobasis
- Inflorescence a spike or a raceme, not branched, basal leaves present (but may
be developed after the flowering) 2
2. Inner tepals forming a distinct tube, outer tepals usually with a tail-like
appendage 2. Dipcadi
- Inner tepals not forming a distinct tube, outer tepals lacking a tail-like
appendage 3
3. Bracts absent; flowers globose to shortly cylindrical, tepals up to 6 mm long,
at least the inner ones connivent covering the stamens and the ovary;
ovary with 2 ovules per locus 3. Drimiopsis
- Bracts present; flowers most often stellate, that is with tepals spreading,
if connivent (as in Albuca) then tepals at least 8 mm long; ovary with 2
to several ovules per locus 4