Boophone disticha
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Photo: Bart Wursten
Globe Rock, Vumba
Photo: Bart Wursten
Globe Rock, Vumba
Photo: Bart Wursten
Main Harare-Mutare road near Rusape.
Photo: Rob Burrett
Silveira House, Chisawasha Mission. Off Arcturus Road beyond Lefarge Cement
Photo: Rob Burrett
Silveira House, Chisawasha Mission. Off Arcturus Road beyond Lefarge Cement
Photo: Rob Jarvis
C. 10km from Rusape along road to Harare
Photo: Bart Wursten
Along Fort Usher road, Matobo
Photo: Fraser Gear
Plateau above Zamambo Gorge, Gorongosa National Park, Cheringoma.
Photo: Bart Wursten
Great Dyke, nr Kopje Tops, Mavhuradonha Wilderness Area
inflorescence
Open miombo woodland
Lazy-J Ranch
Nov 2016
Photo: Nick Wightman
Flowers
Open miombo woodland
Lazy-J Ranch
Nov 2016
Photo: Nick Wightman
Infructescence
Open miombo woodland
Lusaka National Park
Dec 2016
Photo: Nick Wightman
Seed
Open miombo woodland
Lusaka National Park
Dec 2016
Photo: Nick Wightman
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Species details: Click on each item to see an explanation of that item (Note: opens a new window)
| Synonyms: |
Boophane disticha (L.f.) Herb. Boophone toxicaria (L.f.) Herb. |
| Common names: | Tumbleweed (English) Veld fan (English) Windball (English) |
| Frequency: | |
| Status: | Native |
| Description: |
Bulb up to 25 cm in diameter, the apex often emergent from the ground. Leaves up to 60 × 1.5-4 cm, greyish-green or glaucous, developing after the flowers. Scape 5-30 cm, with a spherical inflorescence of 50-100 (or more) flowers. Pedicels 3-8 cm at anthesis, elongating to 40 cm in fruit, angular. Flowers pink to dark purple; tube 0.5-2 cm, narrowly funnel-shaped, always shorter than segments; segments 2-3 × 0.2-0.4 cm, recurved towards apex. Capsule up to 3 cm, irregularly dehiscent. |
| Type location: |
South Africa |
| Notes: | |
| Derivation of specific name: | disticha: distichous or 2-ranked, referring to the fan of leaves all held in the same plane. |
| Habitat: | Widespread in open woodland and grassland |
| Altitude range: (metres) | |
| Flowering time: | Sep - Nov |
| Worldwide distribution: | Widespread in eastern and Southern Africa from Uganda and Kenya to South Africa. |
| Botanical divisions: | IV,V,XI |
| Growth form(s): | |
| Endemic status: | |
| Red data list status: | |
| Insects associated with this species: | Brithys crini (Larval foodplant) |
| Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
| Literature: |
Bandeira, S., Bolnick, D. & Barbosa, F. (2007). Wild Flowers of Southern Mozambique Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Maputo, Mozambique Page 65. As Boophane disticha (Includes a picture). Baumann, G. (2005). Photographic Guide to Wildflowers of Malawi Wildlife and Environmental Society of Malawi Pages 200 - 201. as Anoiganthus luteus (Includes a picture). Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 287. (Includes a picture). Champluvier, D. (1988). Amaryllidaceae Flore du Rwanda Spermatophytes Volume IV Page 76. (Includes a picture). Da Silva, M.C., Izidine, S. & Amude, A.B. (2004). A preliminary checklist of the vascular plants of Mozambique. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 30 Sabonet, Pretoria Page 119. Figueiredo, E. & Smith, G.F. (2008). Plants of Angola Strelitzia 22 SANBI, Pretoria Page 170. Geerinck, D. (1973). Amaryllidaceae Flore d' Afrique Centrale Jardin botanique national de Belgique Pages 6 - 7. Kirby, G. (2013). Wild Flowers of Southeast Botswana Struik Nature, Cape Town South Africa Page 237. (Includes a picture). Linley, K. & Baker, B. (1972). Flowers of the Veld Bundu Series Longman Zimbabwe Page 19. as Boophane disticha (Includes a picture). Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 84. Ntore, S. & al. (2024). Checklist of the vascular plants of Burundi Page 47. Phiri, P.S.M. (2005). A Checklist of Zambian Vascular Plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 32 Page 104. Plowes, D.C.H. & Drummond, R.B. (1990). Wild Flowers of Zimbabwe. Revised edition. Longman, Zimbabwe. No. 8, plates 21, 22 & 23 Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 112. Zimudzi, C., Archer, R.H., Kwembeya, E.G. & Nordal, I. (2008). Amaryllidacae Flora Zambesiaca 13(1) Pages 115 - 116. (Includes a picture). |
Other sources of information about Boophone disticha:
Our websites:
Flora of Angola: Boophone distichaFlora of Botswana: Boophone disticha
Flora of Burundi: Boophone disticha
Flora of Kenya: Boophone disticha
Flora of Malawi: Boophone disticha
Flora of Mozambique: Boophone disticha
Flora of Rwanda: Boophone disticha
Flora of Tanzania: Boophone disticha
Flora of Uganda: Boophone disticha
Flora of Zambia: Boophone disticha
Flora of Zimbabwe: Boophone disticha
External websites:
African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Boophone distichaAfrican Plant Database: Boophone disticha
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Boophone disticha
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Boophone disticha
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Boophone disticha
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Boophone disticha
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Boophone disticha
JSTOR Plant Science: Boophone disticha
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Boophone disticha
Plants of the World Online: Boophone disticha
Tropicos: Boophone disticha
Wikipedia: Boophone disticha