Namophila
Genus of flowering plants
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Namophila is a monotypic genus of bulbous flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae (also treated as the family Hyacinthaceae).[1] The sole species Namophila urotepala is endemic to Namibia.[2]
| Namophila | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Asparagaceae |
| Subfamily: | Scilloideae |
| Genus: | Namophila U.Müll.-Doblies & D.Müll.-Doblies |
| Species: | N. urotepala |
| Binomial name | |
| Namophila urotepala U.Müll.-Doblies & D.Müll.-Doblies | |
Description
Namophila urotepala grows from an underground bulb, which has a dark brown papery tunic. The bulb produces only two somewhat succulent leaves which spread out on the ground on either side. The flowers are produced in a several-flowered raceme borne on a very short stem so that the inflorescence is at ground level. At the top of the inflorescence is a tuft of bracts. Individual flowers are more-or-less upright, bell-shaped with fused greenish-white tepals which end in a thin "tail". The stamens are also more-or-less upright, with their filaments joined to the mouth of the tubular part of the tepals. The fruiting capsule remains enclosed in the tepals. The black seeds are somewhat globular.[3]
Namophila urotepala is found only in the mountains of southern Namibia, in arid areas with winter rainfall.[3]
Systematics
The genus and species were named by Ute Müller-Doblies and Dietrich Müller-Doblies in 1997.[2] Placed in the tribe Hyacintheae (or subfamily Hyacinthoideae by those who use the family Hyacinthaceae), Namophila is most closely related to Lachenalia.[3]