Astroloba: Difference between revisions

Astroloba
	Astroloba sp. in cultivation
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Order:	Asparagales
Family:	Asphodelaceae
Subfamily:	Asphodeloideae
Tribe:	Aloeae
Genus:	Astroloba; Uitewaal

Astroloba is a genus of flowering plants in the subfamily Asphodeloideae,^[2] native to the Cape Province of South Africa.^[1]

Naming

The name of the genus is derived from the Greek words astros, star, and lobos, lobe, and refers to the starlike shape of the petals. Previously, when it was first split from the genus Aloe, it was named Apicra ("non-bitter") as the plants did not contain the bitter sap of most aloes.

Description

They are very closely related to the Haworthia genus, but are distinguished by their flowers being regular and not double-tipped.^[3]

They bear very regular, sharp, triangular, succulent leaves along their symmetrical columnar stems. They are slow growing, multi-stemmed, and their longer stems tend to sprawl in their rocky natural habitat. They bear small, regular white flowers, clustered on slender racemes.

Distribution and habitat

These species are restricted to the dryer inland regions of the southern Cape, South Africa. In their arid natural habitat, they tend to favour semi-shade positions, with well-drained soil and winter rainfall.

Species

As of June 2013, the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families accepted seven species:^[4]

Astroloba bullulata (Jacq.) Uitewaal
Astroloba congesta (Salm-Dyck) Uitewaal
Astroloba corrugata N.L.Mey. & Gideon F.Sm. (also known as Astroloba aspera)
Astroloba foliolosa (Haw.) Uitewaal
Astroloba herrei Uitewaal
Astroloba rubriflora (L.Bolus) Gideon F.Sm. & J.C.Manning
Astroloba spiralis (L.) Uitewaal

References

^ ^a ^b "Astroloba", World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, retrieved 2013-06-09
^ Stevens, P.F. (2001 onwards), "Asphodeloideae", APweb, retrieved 2013-06-09 {{citation}}: Check date values in: |year= (help)CS1 maint: year (link)
^ Eggli, Urs; Newton, Leonard E. (2010), Etymological Dictionary of Succulent Plant Names, Berlin/Heidelberg: Springer, ISBN 978-3-642-05597-3, p. 17
^ Search for "Astroloba", World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, retrieved 2013-06-09

[WCSP_275871-1] "Astroloba", World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, retrieved 2013-06-09

[APweb-2] Stevens, P.F. (2001 onwards), "Asphodeloideae", APweb, retrieved 2013-06-09 {{citation}}: Check date values in: |year= (help)CS1 maint: year (link)

[EgglNewt10-3] Eggli, Urs; Newton, Leonard E. (2010), Etymological Dictionary of Succulent Plant Names, Berlin/Heidelberg: Springer, ISBN 978-3-642-05597-3, p. 17

[WCSP_Astroloba-4] Search for "Astroloba", World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, retrieved 2013-06-09

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
 '''''Astroloba''''' is a [[genus]] of [[flowering plant]]s in the [[family (biology)|subfamily]]  [[Asphodeloideae]],<ref name=APweb>{{citation |last=Stevens |first=P.F. |year=2001 onwards |title=Asphodeloideae |url=http://www.mobot.org/MOBOT/Research/APweb/orders/asparagalesweb.htm#Asphodelaceae |work=APweb |accessdate=2013-06-09 }}</ref> native to the [[Cape Province]] of [[South Africa]].<ref name=WCSP_275871>{{Citation |chapter=''Astroloba''|title=World Checklist of Selected Plant Families |publisher=[[Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew]] |url=http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/namedetail.do?name_id=275871 |accessdate=2013-06-09}}</ref>
+==Naming==
-The name of the genus is derived from the [[Greek language|Greek]] words ''astros'', star, and ''lobos'', lobe, and refers to the starlike shape of the [[petal]]s. They are very closely related to the Haworthia genus, but are distinguished by their flowers being regular and not double-tipped.<ref name=EgglNewt10>{{citation |first1=Urs |last1=Eggli |first2=Leonard E. |last2=Newton |title=Etymological Dictionary of Succulent Plant Names |publisher=Springer |publication-place=Berlin/Heidelberg |year=2010 |isbn=978-3-642-05597-3 }}, p. 17</ref>
+The name of the genus is derived from the [[Greek language|Greek]] words ''astros'', star, and ''lobos'', lobe, and refers to the starlike shape of the [[petal]]s. Previously, when it was first split from the genus Aloe, it was named ''Apicra'' ("non-bitter") as the plants did not contain the bitter sap of most aloes.
+==Description==
-They bear regular, sharp, triangular, succulent leaves along their symmetrical columnar stems. They are slow growing, and their longer stems tend to sprawl in their rocky natural habitat. They bear small, regular white flowers, clustered on slender racemes.
+They are very closely related to the Haworthia genus, but are distinguished by their flowers being regular and not double-tipped.<ref name=EgglNewt10>{{citation |first1=Urs |last1=Eggli |first2=Leonard E. |last2=Newton |title=Etymological Dictionary of Succulent Plant Names |publisher=Springer |publication-place=Berlin/Heidelberg |year=2010 |isbn=978-3-642-05597-3 }}, p. 17</ref>
+They bear very regular, sharp, triangular, succulent leaves along their symmetrical columnar stems. They are slow growing, multi-stemmed, and their longer stems tend to sprawl in their rocky natural habitat. They bear small, regular white flowers, clustered on slender racemes.
-In their arid natural habitat, they tend to favour semi-shade positions, with well-drained soil and winter rainfall.
+==Distribution and habitat==
+These species are restricted to the dryer inland regions of the southern Cape, [[South Africa]]. In their arid natural habitat, they tend to favour semi-shade positions, with well-drained soil and winter rainfall.
 ==Species==
@@ Line 19: / Line 24: @@
 *''[[Astroloba bullulata]]'' <small>(Jacq.) Uitewaal</small>
 *''[[Astroloba congesta]]'' <small>(Salm-Dyck) Uitewaal</small>
-*''[[Astroloba corrugata]]'' <small>N.L.Mey. & Gideon F.Sm.</small>
+*''[[Astroloba corrugata]]'' <small>N.L.Mey. & Gideon F.Sm.</small> (also known as ''[[Astroloba aspera]]'')
 *''[[Astroloba foliolosa]]'' <small>(Haw.) Uitewaal</small>
 *''[[Astroloba herrei]]'' <small>Uitewaal</small>

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