Bulbine bulbosa
| Bulbine bulbosa | |
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Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| clade: | Angiosperms |
| clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Xanthorrhoeaceae |
| Subfamily: | Asphodeloideae |
| Genus: | Bulbine |
| Species: | B. bulbosa |
| Binomial name | |
| Bulbine bulbosa (R.Br.) Haw. |
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| Synonyms | |
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Anthericum bulbosum R.Br.[1] |
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Bulbine bulbosa is a flowering plant in the genus Bulbine, endemic to Australia.
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[edit] Description
B. bulbosa grows often dense colonies up to about 75 cms with succulent, greyish green, narrowly lanceolate leaves. It has star shaped, sweet smelling yellow flowers borne on long vertical flowering stalks with the oldest flowers at the base. Each flower has 6 tepals with notably tufted hairy yellow sepals. The individual flowers only last for one day but the flowering head may persist in flower for some weeks.
The flowering period is long, extending from September through to March, although there is wide local variation. Despite its name, each plant forms a round corm and not a bulb to overwinter.
It has many common names including Bulbine Lily, Golden Lily, Leek Lily (although it is not a true lily — it is not a member of the Liliaceae), Wild Onion, Yellow Onion Weed and Native Leek (although it is not a member of the Alliaceae, the family to which onions and leeks belong).
[edit] Classification
B. bulbosa occurs in a wide range of habitats and cytologically exhibits considerable variation . This suggests that the plants currently grouped as B. bulbosa may represent a collection of up to 4 distinct species.[2] The diploid chromosome count is 24 (2n = 24) but populations occur with 2n = 48 and 2n = 72. Where the plant occurs on rocky ledges and has been observed to be morphologically different (shorter and more robust) and has been referred to as the Rock lily, the chromosome count 2n = 46 suggesting that this group is clearly a separate species.
B. bulbosa has been referred to in texts by a number of alternative names depending on the classification system used at the current view of taxonomy at the time of publication. These include Anthericum bulbosum , Phalangium bulbosum and Blephanthera depressa.
[edit] Distribution
B.bulbosa is an endemic of Australia and is restricted to the eastern half the country being found in Queensland, New South Wales. Victoria, the extreme east of South Australia and in Tasmania. It is relatively widely distributed and often common in these areas being found in a variety of habitats including dry sclerophyll forest, meadows, rocky crags and hedge-banks but preferring those benefiting from some winter rainfall or areas which are inundated with water at some time of the year such as swamps or bogs.
[edit] Uses
The corms of mature plants are nutritious, containing calcium and iron and were used as food by the Aborigines[3] who called it Parm, Puewan or Pike and who regarded the corms as the sweetest of the lily and lily-like Australian plants to eat.[4]
[edit] Toxicity
The aerial parts of the plant contain toxins and the plant is listed on the U.S. Food & Drug Administration Poisonous Plant Database[5] and eating of the foliage is alleged to cause scouring if eaten by sheep or cattle.[6]
[edit] Cultivation
The attractive clear yellow colour, the long lasting flower stalks, its moderate frost hardiness and the pleasant scent has encouraged use of B. bulbosa as a garden flower in suitable areas although few significant varieties have been developed. It can be propagated from seeds or by division of the corm. Seeds are released from the ripened seed capsules and are best kept at least a month or two before use. Sowing in the Spring time is best with germination taking about 35 days. Watering is essential to keep seedlings and plants moist around the roots. Plants quickly grow to a substantial clump provided they are placed in full or part sun and they will succeed in a variety of soils. It is essential that good drainage is provided however. It is tolerant of moderate frost hardy and will thrive in cool climates in either hemisphere provided it has regular watering throughout the year. Without watering plants will die back to the corms but this can be prevented by maintaining watering throughout the growing season.
Collecting seeds from garden grown plants may result in low germination success as there are internal mechanisms that act to suppress self fertilisation in B. bulbosa.[7] Having plants from more than one source may help to reduce this problem and increase seed fertility.[8]
Naturalising B. bulbosa in wild areas and in grassland is popular and may help to keep moisture around the rootstock. However there is some evidence that some grasses may inhibit recruitment of new plants from seedlings.[9]
[edit] References
- ^ Haworth, A. H. (1821), Revisiones Plantarum Succulentarum: 33
- ^ Cytoevolutionary Studies in the Genus Bulbine Wolf (Liliaceae). I. The Australian Perennial Taxa (B. bulbosa s.l.)
- ^ Isaacs, J. 1987. Bush food: Aboriginal food and herbal medicine. Weldon, Sydney, Australia
- ^ Australian National Botanic Garden: Bulbine bulbosa
- ^ Poisonous Plant Database (Plant List)
- ^ Plants for a Future - Bulbine bulbosa
- ^ Facilitated Autogamy and Costs of Selfing in the Perennial Herb Bulbine bulbosa (Asphodelaceae)
- ^ The mechanism of self-sterility in Bulbine bulbosa: self-incompatibility or inbreeding depression
- ^ Effect of Gap Width and Turf Type on the Establishment of the Australian Forb Bulbine bulbosa
