Occultia fragrans Rulkens & Stedje, 2022
- Dataset
- GBIF Backbone Taxonomy
- Rank
- SPECIES
- Published in
- Stedje, Brita, Rulkens, Antonius J. H., Hankey, Andrew J. (2022): Occultia (Scilloideae, Asparagaceae), a new genus from Malawi and Mozambique. Phytotaxa 575 (2): 166-172, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.575.2.6, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.575.2.6
Classification
- kingdom
- Plantae
- phylum
- Tracheophyta
- class
- Liliopsida
- order
- Asparagales
- family
- Asparagaceae
- genus
- Occultia
- species
- Occultia fragrans
biology_ecology
Ecology: — Underground of small patches of mophane woodland, or on gneiss inselbergs, soil mainly dark and humus-rich; between 200 – 900 m of elevation.
conservation
Conservation note: — Data Deficient, probably overlooked.
description
Bulbous herb up to 14 cm high; bulb ovoid to subglobose with thick white scales, up to 3 cm high. Leaves 1 (rarely 2 or 3) with a distinct, usually subterranean, pseudopetiole to 2.5 cm long; lamina ovate, to 8 cm long and 6 cm wide, flat on the ground, glabrous, pale green with darker green irregularly shaped spots adaxially, often dark purple abaxially. Inflorescence relatively lax with up to about 40 flowers; pedicels patent to suberect, about 2 mm long in flower. Perianth cylindrical, white, green towards the base at the outer side, about 4 mm long; united into a tube for 1 / 3 to half its length, free parts spreading. Stamens adnate to tepals and arising in two levels from the top of perianth tube, filaments very short. Ovary sessile, subglobose c. 1 mm long; style c. 1 mm long; stigma capitate. Flowers fragrant at late afternoon and night. Capsule and seeds not seen.
diagnosis
Similar to O. ledebourioides in general appearance of the flowers, but it differs in flowers being white and green, and fragrant. The leaves are usually solitary, ovate, spotted dark green and lying flat at the ground.
distribution
Distribution: — Northwestern and central Mozambique.
materials_examined
Examined specimens: — MOZAMBIQUE. Niassa Province: Mandimba; 06 November 1941, Hornby 3476 (K!). Zambezia Province: Mocuba District, Mopane woodland on Mount Pozo, 16.4848 ° S 37.2925 ° E, 470 m of elevation, collected 5 May 2015, flowered 25 October 2018 in garden at Xai-Xai, Mozambique, Rulkens 50 (LMA!). Niassa Province: Near Lake Nyassa, 1902, Johnson 525 (K!).
materials_examined
Type: — MOZAMBIQUE. Cabo Delgado Province: Ancuabe district, Mopane woodland at base of Mount Yokolo, 13.2098 ° S 40.1094 ° E, 223 m of elevation, collected in nature on 14 December 2015, Rulkens 110, the herbarium specimen prepared from the living cultivated plant on 7 January 2016 (LMA!, holotype).