Aloes and Lilies of Ethiopia and Eritrea

230 IRIDACEAE
Fig. 104. Moraea
schimperi, from
Arsi floristic
region.
Description
Habitat and
distribution
Plant medium to large, 20–50 cm high, solitary or sometimes
growing in clumps. Corm about 1.5–2 cm in diameter, with brown
firm-textured tunics covered by cataphylls. Leaf solitary, linear,
initially shorter than stem, 9–15 mm wide, channelled below, flat
above, eventually much exceeding stem. Stem erect, unbranched.
Spathes dry and often brown, attenuate, inner (6–)7–10(–12) cm
long, outer 2–3 cm shorter than inner. Flowers blue­purple with
yellow nectar gui des on outer tepals; outer tepals lanceolate,
40–65 mm long, spreading to slightly reflexed; inner tepals erect,
lanceolate, 3.5–4.5 cm long. Style bran ches 15–20 mm long, crests
10–20 mm long. Capsules 25–35 mm long, cylindrical.
The species grows in montane grassland and woodland
between 1570 and 3250 m in Gonder, Shewa, Arsi,
Wellega, Kefa, Sidamo, Bale, and Harerge floristic
regions. It is also widespread in the Sudan, highlands of
eastern tropical Africa, Angola, Came roon, and Nigeria.
The flowering period in Ethiopia is from January to
March.
3. LAPEIROUSIA Pourret
The genus is easily recognised from the other indigenous
genera by the bell-shaped, flat-bottomed corms with
dense and fibrous tunics.
The genus includes perennial herbs. The lower leaves
(cataphylls) are membranous and with sheathing base;