Biology:Cyrtanthus ventricosus

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Short description: Species of flowering plant

Cyrtanthus ventricosus
Cyrtanthus ventricosus03.jpg
Scientific classification edit
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Amaryllidaceae
Subfamily: Amaryllidoideae
Genus: Cyrtanthus
Species:
C. ventricosus
Binomial name
Cyrtanthus ventricosus
Willd.
Synonyms[1]
  • Cyrtanthus pallidus Sims
  • Sims (Sims) Herb. ex Kunth
  • Donn Amaryllis bivaginata
  • Monella ventricosa Pursh
  • Monella pallida (Willd.) Herb.
  • Gastronema pallidum Cyrtanthus pallidus
  • (Sims) Herb. (Sims) Lodd.
  • Gastronema pallidum Monella pallida
  • (Sims) G.Lodd. ex Paxton & J.Harrison Amaryllis bivaginata


Cyrtanthus ventricosus, commonly called fire lily, is a small deciduous, bulbous plant reaching a height of 100–250 mm (3.9–9.8 in). It is in the amaryllis family, Amaryllidaceae, and is found along the Cape Fold Mountains from the Cape Peninsula, Western Cape, to the Kouga Mountains, Eastern Cape in South Africa .[2] [3]

Fire lilly produces beautiful, salmon to scarlet blooms just nine days after fire occurs at the place where the plant stands.

Description

The fire lily produces tubular pink to bright red flowers.[3] Each tepal has a darker strip down the middle.[2] These are borne in an inflorescence containing 1-14 individual flowers.[2][4] Rarely, a plant will produce two inflorescences.[4] Flowers are most common from December to May, but are only produced after fires, stimulated by the smoke.[5] The flat, black seeds have wings and are dispersed by the wind.[2] The bulbs produce linear leaves every winter (June-August).[2] The leaves and flowers are not present at the same time.

Ecology

This plant flowers after wildfires. The red flowers are clearly visible against the blackened background to butterflies and sunbirds, the main pollinators of this species.[2][6] They are attracted by the nectar that the flowers produce.[6] Sunbirds sometimes pierce the base of the tube, resulting in them getting the nectar rewards without transferring the pollen between plants.[2] This species has full self-sterility, meaning self-pollinated flowers do not produce seeds.[4]

Conservation

While this plant may only flower after a fire, it is common in its range and the population is considered to be stable. As such, it is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI).[7]

References

  1. "Cyrtanthus ventricosus". Species. GBIF. http://www.gbif.org/species/5326034. 
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 "Cyrtanthus ventricosus". PlantZAfrica.com. http://pza.sanbi.org/cyrtanthus-ventricosus. Retrieved 14 December 2018. 
  3. 3.0 3.1 Manning, John; Goldblatt, Peter (2012). Plants of the Greater Cape Floristic Region : 1: the core Cape flora. Pretoria: South African National Biodiversity Institute, SANBI. ISBN 978-1-919976-74-7. OCLC 852384288. https://www.sanbi.org/sites/default/files/documents/documents/strelitzia-29-2012.pdf. 
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 Johnson, S. D.; Butler, H. C.; Robertson, A. W. (2019). Ren, Z.‐X.. ed. "Breeding systems in Cyrtanthus (Amaryllidaceae): variation in self‐sterility and potential for ovule discounting" (in en). Plant Biology 21 (6): 1008–1015. doi:10.1111/plb.13025. ISSN 1435-8603. PMID 31271495. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/plb.13025. 
  5. Keeley, Jon E. (1993). "Smoke-induced flowering in the fire-lily Cyrtanthus ventricosus" (in en). South African Journal of Botany 59 (6): 638. doi:10.1016/S0254-6299(16)30681-0. 
  6. 6.0 6.1 Johnson, S. D.; Bond, W. J. (1997-02-21). "Evidence for widespread pollen limitation of fruiting success in Cape wildflowers". Oecologia 109 (4): 530–534. doi:10.1007/s004420050113. ISSN 0029-8549. PMID 28307336. http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s004420050113. 
  7. Snijman, D.A.; Victor, J.E. (2004). "Cyrtanthus ventricosus Willd". http://redlist.sanbi.org/species.php?species=2088-63. 

Further reading

Wikidata ☰ Q15507716 entry