keys to the vascular plants of east texas - Botanical Research ...

684 IRIDACEAE/ALOPHIA
5. Perianth whorls similar in size and positioning (but some can be narrower than others);
style branches filiform, entire; flowers small (ca. 12 mm or less long); plants vegetatively
like miniature irises, the leaves small (< 1 cm wide) ______________________________ Sisyrinchium
5. Perianth whorls not similar in size or positioning, the inner whorl (petals) erect (except
in Iris fulva), the outer whorl (sepals) reflexed; style branches petaloid, cleft at apex; flowers
much more than 12 mm long; plants much larger vegetatively, the leaves usually
1.5–4 cm wide (except in Iris xiphium with nearly cylindrical leaves) _________________________ Iris
3. Leaves plicate (= folded like a fan), occasionally so narrow that pleats not developed; plant
from a bulb.
6. Perianth whorls nearly equal in size and appearance, uniformly blue except lighter to white
at very base, giving the perianth the appearance of having a white “eye”; anthers 11–15
mm long (OR in plants occurring to the n of TX only 3–8 mm long) ____________________ Nemastylis
6. Perianth whorls conspicuously unequal in size, variously patterned, either with the very
small inner whorl (petals) dark (blackish violet) toward base or with the inner whorl spotted
reddish brown over yellow toward base; anthers 6–10 mm long.
7. Flowers primarily dark purple to rose-purple, toward base yellow with reddish brown
spots; outer, larger perianth parts ovate; inner perianth parts ca. 15 mm long, obtuse
apically; cauline leaves leaf-like toward base of stem, becoming bract-like above; the
three style branches deeply divided ______________________________________________ Alophia
7. Flowers primarily blue or purple-blue, yellow color never present; outer larger perianth
parts (sepals) lanceolate to broadly so, with a violet halo (= ring) outlining the whitish,
purple-dotted base; inner perianth parts (petals) much smaller, 8–12 mm long, blackish
violet toward base, acuminate apically; cauline leaves, if present, reduced and bract-like;
the three style branches divided near apex _______________________________________ Herbertia
ALOPHIA Herb. PROPELLER-FLOWER
AA genus of ca. 5 species of perennial herbs native from the s United States to South America
(Goldblatt 2002d); some are used as cultivated ornamentals. Some species have “oil flowers”
which have elaiophores (= oil-secreting organs). The oils produced by these structures, rather
than nectar or pollen, serve as a reward for specialized bees which pollinate the flowers (Buchmann
1987). Generic relationships of Alophia are unclear, and there may be a relationship with
the monotypic Mesoamerican genus Ainea (Goldblatt 1992). (Greek: a, without, and lophos, crest)
REFERENCES: Goldblatt & Howard 1992; Goldblatt 2002d.
Alophia drummondii (Graham) R.C. Foster, (for its discoverer, Thomas Drummond, 1780–1835,
Scottish botanist and collector in North America), PURPLE PLEAT-LEAF, PROPELLER-FLOWER. Perennial
from a shallow bulb; basal leaves sheathing, narrowly linear to linear-lanceolate, plicate,
to ca. 30 cm long and 2 cm wide; cauline leaves leaf-like near base of stem, bract-like
above; flowering stem to 45(–75) cm tall; flowers few, emerging from the spathes, lasting only
one day; perianth velvety dark purple to rose-purple (rarely white), toward the base yellow with
reddish brown spots, to ca. 25 mm long, the outer whorl of perianth parts somewhat larger
than the 3 longitudinally cupped and apically crimped inner; anthers 6–8 mm long; capsules
obovoid-oblong, ca. 1.5–3 cm long. Sandy soils, grassy areas, and open woods; widespread in e 1/
3 of TX; AR, LA, MS, OK, and TX. Mostly May–Jul. [Nemastylis purpurea Herb., Eustylis
purpurea (Herb.) Engelm. & A. Gray, not A. drummondii in the sense of Correll & Johnston
(1970)]. The name Alophia drummondii has in the past been used mistakenly for Herbertia
lahue (e.g., Correll & Johnston 1970), and the two species have often been confused. However,
they are quite distinct (Goldblatt 2002d) (for comparison see color photographs on pages 275
and 288). While this species presumably outcrosses as evidenced by its showy flowers, it is selfcompatible,
possibly to ensure seed production in the absence of pollinators (Goldblatt &
Howard 1992). m/275