Aloes and Lilies of Ethiopia and Eritrea

216 COLCHICACEAE
Fig. 100. Littonia
revoilii, from
Somalia.
Littonia revoilii
Description
Habitat and
distribution
Littonia revoilii Franch.
The specific epithet ‘revoilii’ was given in honour of one
of the collectors, Revoil from whose collection the type
was designated. The species was described by Fran chet in
1882, with the type material collected from Barroz valley
in Somalia. It was also known by the names Littonia hardeggeri
described by Beck in 1888 from Harerge and
Littonia minor described by Deflers from Arabia.
Erect or scandent geophyte, 15–35 cm high. Corm ovoid to globose,
c. 1.7 × 1.5 cm. Leaf­blade linear to elliptic, 4.5–8.5 (­10) cm × 4.5
mm; lower ones whorled, upper ones alternate or opposite, sessile,
attenuated into a recurved tendril at the apex. Flowers solitary;
pedicel 2–5 cm long. Perianth segments elliptic, narrowing from the
middle towards the base, reddish-yellow, cream flushed with brown
or yellow; 1.2–2.5 cm × 2–5 mm. Stamens with filaments 8–10
mm long; anthers 3–4 mm long. Ovary with style 6–8 mm long
and 3­branched stigma c. 5 mm long. Fruit 3­locular, 15–17 mm
long, many seeded. Seeds ± globose, fleshy when fresh, obovate,
3 × 3 mm.
The ecology of the species is poorly known in Ethiopia.
It grows on sandy and stony ground in Somalia. It is only
known from eastern part of Harerge floristic region and
adjacent areas in Somalia, Djibouti, and Arabia. The main
flowering period in Ethiopia is from October to January,
also from April to May.