Aloes and Lilies of Ethiopia and Eritrea

Hypoxis schimperi
Description
Habitat and
distribution
Hypoxis abyssinica
HYPOXIS 265
Indian Ocean. The main flowering period in Ethiopia is
from April to June, in the south flowers may, however,
reappear in November.
In the Flora of Tropical East Africa (Wiland­Szymanska
& Nordal 2006) it was stated that the mainland African
specimens of the species should be referred to a separate
variety, var. luzuloides (Robyns & Tournay) Wiland, as it
has turned out that the type specimen from Mauritius is
lacking the typical cuticular folding of the seed coat.
2. Hypoxis schimperi Baker
The species is named after the Ger man collector of
Ethiopian plants in the 19 th century, G.W. Schimper. It
was described by Baker in 1878, based on material from
the Gon der floristic region (‘Begemder’). The species is
clo sely related to H. angustifolia, but has most often only
one flower with somewhat larger flowers, tepals 7–10
mm, shorter pedicels (up to 5 mm) and a capsule opening
with a lid rather than with slits.
Corm subglobose, 1.5–2 cm wide, often carrying a dense tuft of
fibres. Leaves linear, 20–25 × 0.2–0.3 cm, almost glabrous, 1–2
flowered, pedicels short, up to 0.5 cm; tepals 7–10 mm, capsule
dehiscence by a lid. Seeds dull brown due to the special cuticular
folding.
The species grows in grassland valley bottoms with a
high water table, between tussocks, but is also found
in Podocarpus forest, often on black soils between 950
and 2700 m: It is recorded from the Gonder, Shewa and
Sidamo floristic regions. It is otherwise found in Eastern
Africa south to Zimbabwe. The main flowering period in
Ethiopia is in May.
3. Hypoxis abyssinica Hochst. ex A.Rich.
The species epithet refers to the older name for Ethiopia
(Abyssinia). The species was discovered by Hochstetter
and described by Richard in 1851, based on material
from Mount Scholoda in Tigray. The most narrow­leaved
specimens within this form has often been confused with
H. an gu stifolia, from which it differs in fruit and seed