Trachyandra Ciliata

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in biology, Trachyandra Ciliata (Latin:Trachyandra ciliata (L.f.) Kunth) is a genus of perennial flowering plants in the family Asphodelaceae. Sprawling, rhizomatous perennial up to 45cm, roots fleshy and swollen. Leaves straggling, channelled, soft and spongy, usually hairy; white flowers in sprawling, elongate, usually hairy raceme with conspicuous bracts; fruits long, 6-14mm, hairless, on deflexed stalks. The native range of this species is Namibia to Cape Prov. It is a rhizomatous geophyte and grows primarily in the subtropical biome.

Trachyandra ciliata is an upright to sprawling herbaceous perennial up to 0.5 m heigh. Roots are wiry, often swollen and hairy. Leaves are linear, up to 100 cm x 4 cm, succulent, hairless or sometimes with hairs along the margins. Flowers are arranged into congested racemes, each lasting only a single day, tepals are white with a pink midrib and paired yellow spots near the base, usually curved backwards. There are 6 stamens with minutely hairy (scabrid) filaments. The capsule is round or cylindrical, hairless, usually recurved. Seeds are greyish black, sometimes with reddish brown streaking, and the surface has wart-like protuberances.

Widespread, usually on coastal sands from southern Namibia to the southeastern Cape.

Trachyandra ciliata is common on sandy flats along the southwestern Cape coast. The plants are easily recognized from other similar species by the trailing, snake-like flower spikes. The fruiting stalks curve downwards very characteristically. Like all species in the genus, each flower lasts only a single day and is pleasantly scented. The flowers are pollinated by honey bees and solitary bees that collect pollen and possibly nectar. The seeds are shed during summer. Like other members of the family, each seed is covered by a thin papery skin which includes specialized cells that contain bundles of needle-like crystals of oxalic acid which probably function to deter seed predators.

Homotypic Synonyms

Anthericum ciliatum L.f.

Bulbine ciliata (L.f.) Link

Heterotypic Synonyms

Anthericum blepharophoron Schult. & Schult.f.

Anthericum canaliculatum Aiton

Anthericum fimbriatum Thunb.

Anthericum hamatum Poelln.

Anthericum longifolium Jacq.

Anthericum maculatum Poelln.

Anthericum pilosiflorum Poelln.

Anthericum recurvatum Dinter

Anthericum spongiosum Poelln.

Phalangium canaliculatum (Aiton) Poir.

Phalangium longifolium (Jacq.) Poir.

Bulbine canaliculata (Aiton) Spreng.

Licinia canaliculata (Aiton) Raf.

Trachyandra blepharophora (Schult. & Schult.f.) Kunth

Trachyandra bracteosa Kunth

Trachyandra canaliculata (Aiton) Kunth

Trachyandra fimbriata (Thunb.) Kunth

Trachyandra longifolia (Jacq.) Kunth