Aloes and Lilies of Ethiopia and Eritrea

Habitat and
distribution
Xerophyta spekei
Description
Habitat and
distribution
XEROPHYTA 329
The species is found in shallow soil and crevices on
granite inselberg and also in Com miphora bushland on red
soil between 1300 and 1400 meter. It is only known from
Sidamo floristic region in Ethiopia and has otherwise a
very disjunct distribution, reoccurring from Zambia and
southwards. These relations should be further studied.
4. Xerophyta spekei Baker
The species is named after the soldier and explorer
John H. Speke who collected extensively in East Africa
around the middle of the 19 th century. It was described by
Baker in 1895 from Tanzanian material. It is the only tall
species, up to about 2 m, of the genus found in Ethiopia.
The trunk, formed mostly from the specialized roots, is
up to 10 cm wide at the base.
Branched shrubs up to about 2 m. Leaves linear, 7–30(–70) ×
0.2–1.2 cm, densely covered with white hairs below, simple or in
clusters. Flowers 1–3 at the apex of the stem; flower stalks 2–8 cm
long with glandular hairs. Tepals white to lilac or mauve, linearlanceolate
20–35(–50) mm long; anthers 13–20 mm long. Capsule
sub globose, up to 15 mm long with spaced glandular hairs.
The species belongs to rocky outcrops in dry areas, and
has only been collected in the southernmost Ethiopia
(Sidamo (or possibly Bale) floristic regions) close to the
Kenyan border. It is further known from Kenya, Tanzania
and Zambia. in the main flowering periosd in Ethiopia is
in June.