Aloes and Lilies of Ethiopia and Eritrea

224 IRIDACEAE
Conservation
Key to genera
gardens in both tropical and temperate areas. Moraea
and the southern African Homeria are poisonous, and
cause significant losses in cattle- and sheep-raising
areas, especially in southern Africa. Some genera are of
importance in traditional medicine, especially Gladiolus.
Corms of several species of Lapeirousia and Gladiolus
are eaten locally. The corms of several genera were an
important source of food for humans in prehistoric time.
The most commonly found cultivated members of
the family in Ethiopia in general, and Addis Ababa in
particular, are Crocosmia × crocosmiiflora (Lemoine)
N.E. Br. (syn. Montbretia crocosmiiflora Lemoine) which
grows from a corm and has flattened ribbed leaves and
spikes of bright orange flowers, and Iris that are probably
derivatives of I. germanica L. and I. pallida Lam. The
cultivated irises grow from rhizomes and have flattened,
grey­green sword­shaped leaves and white, blue, purple
or even brown flowers. These are included in the key to
the genera, but not discussed further in the text.
Among the indigenous species there are a number of
endemics, mainly in the genus Gladiolus: G. balensis,
known only from near Ginir in Bale floristic region; G.
negeliensis, near Negelle in Sidamo floristic region; G.
mensensis, in a few localities in the highlands of Eritrea;
G. calcicola, near Harer in Harerge floristic region; G.
longispathaceus, in Sidamo and Gamo Gofa floristic
regions; and G. lithicola, near Gara Mulleta in Harerge
floristic region. Another endemic species in the family is
Lapeirousia abyssinica, known in central and northern
Ethiopia and in Eritrea. There is an urgent need to protect
habitats which are home for these unique treasures.
1. Stamens opposite and adpressed to style branches; style branches broad,
flattened, petal-like with paired terminal crests; leaves bifacial and channelled
or terete 2
- Stamens alternate or opposite style branches, but never adpressed to them or
style not significantly divided; style filiform and simple or terminating in short
lobes or filiform branches; leaves unifacial and equitant, sometimes terete or
almost so 3