Aloes and Lilies of Ethiopia and Eritrea

Fig. 106.
Lapeirousia
schimperi, from
south of Wachile,
Sidamo floristic
region.
Description
Habitat and
distribution
MORAEA LAPEROUSIA 233
Plant (20–)30–80 cm high, usually with several branches. Corm
18–22 mm in diameter at base, tunics composed of compacted
fibres, light to dark brown, outer layers becoming loosely fibrous
and reticulate. Leaves linear, 3 or more, lower 2 largest and usually
slightly longer than inflorescence, decreasing in size and becoming
bract­like upwards, narrowly lanceolate, 5–10(–15) mm wide,
midrib slightly raised. Stem rounded to nearly square below, and
4-angled to 4-winged above. Inflorescence a lax pseudo-panicle,
ultimate branches with 1–3 sessile flowers. Flowers bilaterally
symmetric, white to cream, rarely pale violet, when whitish
sometimes fading or drying lilac especially on the tube, opening
in the evening, then sometimes scented; perianth tube cylindrical,
slender, 7–16 cm long; tepals lanceolate, extended more or less at
right angles to tube, 8–11 × 6–7 mm. Style branches c. 2 mm long,
forked for c. 1/3 their length. Capsules obovoid­oblong, 8–12 mm
long, partly enclosed in bracts.
The species grows in moist habitats in arid areas, stream
sides and seasonal marshes as well as in damp grassland
between 1200 and 2150 m in Tigray, Gonder and Sidamo
floristic regions in Ethiopia and in Eritrea. It also occurs
in Kenya, Sudan, Tanzania, southern Zambia, Zimbabwe,
possibly Malawi, Angola, Namibia, and northern
Botswana. The main flowering period in Ethiopia is from
May to August.