Aloes and Lilies of Ethiopia and Eritrea

Sansevieria nilotica
Description
Habitat and
distribution
Sansevieria
forskaoliana
Description
5. Sansevieria nilotica Baker
DRACAENA SANSEVIERIA 287
The specific epithet ‘nilotica’ refers to the White Nile
river, on the banks of which the type spe cimen was
collected by Murie. The species was described by Baker
in 1875.
It differs from the related species, S. forskaoliana by
the leaves being subu late at the apex and green at the
margin. In contrast, S. forskaoliana has leaves which are
acute at the apex and brown at the mar gins.
Plant without an aerial stem. Leaves 2–3 toge ther, when well
developed up to 125 × 4 cm, strap­shaped, with margins quite
parallel, narrowing above into a soft green subulate point up to 2
cm long and gradually narrowing at the base into a deeply concave
channel, smooth, conspi cu ously marked with numerous, narrow,
closely pla ced, irregular, zigzag, transverse pale and dark green
bars; margins green. Inflorescence a race me up to 200 cm tall.
Flowers white, in clusters, 4–10 in the lower and 2–3 in the upper
clus ters; pedicels up to 12 mm long. Perianth tu be c. 10 mm long;
lobes c. 12 mm long, linear, subacute. Fruit not seen.
The species grows in riverine forest, associated with
Ficus vallis-choudae, Celtis sp., and Argomuellera
macrophylla, between 900 and 1450 m in Illubabor and
Kefa floristic regions. It also occurs in the Sudan, Uganda,
and Central Africa. The main flowering period in
Ethiopia is from December to January.
6. Sansevieria forskaoliana (Schult. f.) Hepper &
Wood
The specific epithet ‘forskaoliana’ was given in honour
of Forsskål, who collected the type in North Yemen. The
species was described as Smila ci na forskaoliana in 1829.
The species was transferred to Sansevieria by Hepper
and Wood in 1984.
It differs from the related species, S. ni lotica, by the
leaves being acute at the apex and brown at the margins.
In contrast, in S. nilotica the leaves are subulate at the
apex and green at the margin.
Plant without an aerial stem; rhizome 2 cm or more in diameter.
Leaves 1–2(–4) together, usually erect, firm, up to 100 × 9 cm,
sometimes lon ger, lanceolate, acute, with a hardened apical point
0.2 cm long or more, brown, fading to white later on, narrowed from