Family: Iridaceae
Homeria
Citation:
Vent., Dec. Gen. Nov. 5 (1808).
Derivation: Greek homereo, I meet together; referring to the connate filaments and often connivent anthers of the stamens.
Synonymy: Not Applicable Common name: None
Description:
Deciduous perennial herbs, dormant in summer; corm globose, pointed above, with a hard tunic; leaves one to few, basal and near-basal, lax, tough, linear, channelled, with a sheathing base; stem erect, terete, often with branches subtended by reduced sheathing acuminate stem bracts.
Inflorescence cymose, with herbaceous spathes; flowers 2-4 between paired closely sheathing spathe bracts, pedicellate, fugacious, actinomorphic; perianth-segments free, subequal, shortly clawed at the base; filaments completely connate in a tube around the style; anthers basifixed, linear, appressed to the style branches; style 3-fid above the filament tube; branches flattened, either cuneate with minute 2-lobed crests exceeding the broad stigmas, or 2-lobed with minute terminal stigmas.
Capsules narrowly cylindrical, exserted from the spathe; seeds numerous, brown, angular.
Distribution:
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(P. Goldblatt (1981) Ann. Miss. Bot. Gard. 68:413-503.) 31 species in southern Africa; several have been cultivated as ornamentals, about 3 are naturalised in Australia.
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Biology:
No text
Key to Species:
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1. Leaves 2 or 3; bulbils produced in the axils |
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H. miniata 2. |
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1. Leaf solitary; bulbils absent |
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2. Stem bracts 2-5 cm long; style crests triangular, c. 1 mm long |
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H. flaccida 1. |
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2. Stem bracts 6-7 cm long; style crests absent or vestigial |
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H. ochroleuca 3. |
Author:
Not yet available
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