Hypoxis polystachya Welw. ex Baker

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation

Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident

Hypoxidaceae, I. Nordal & C. Zimudzi. Flora Zambesiaca 12:3. 2001

Morphology General Habit

Robust perennial herb to 75 cm tall.

Vegetative Multiplication Rhizomes

Rhizome vertical, 3–5 × 4–6 cm, subglobose or hemispheric with a flat base, or up to c. 8 cm long and ± cylindrical, with numerous stout contractile roots about the middle.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves (3)5–9(12), ± rigidly erect, becoming lax, usually conduplicate with narrowly funnel-shaped sheaths broadly membranous-hyaline on the margins; lamina increasing to c. 75 cm long, 0.5–2 cm wide (width measured when folded blades are spread apart and flattened), linear, gradually tapering to a narrowly acute apex, strongly many-ribbed with ribs ± spaced, thinly loosely pilose to densely spreading pilose-pubescent, more sparsely so on the adaxial (inner) surface, the hairs finely 2–8-armed (stellate), sometimes appressed silvery-strigose on young growth; outermost leaves reduced to membranous sheaths with or without small blades, the entire outer surface ± densely sericeous-lanate to glabrescent; pseudostem 4–20 cm long and up to 12 mm in diameter.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences 1–5(8), usually appearing with the leaves.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Scape

Scapes up to c. 37(45) cm long, overtopped by the mature leaves, strongly flattened in cross-section, 2–5 mm wide, width reducing in steps as pedicels diverge, whitish sericeous to spreading pubescent particularly towards the apex and on the margins towards the base; bracts 7–40 mm long, subulate to linear-lanceolate; pedicels erect-ascending, the lower ones 5–25 mm long, the upper decreasing in length.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers 3–14(25) in a raceme-like ± cylindrical arrangement 3–13 cm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Tepal

Outer tepals 10–18 × 4–5 mm, lanceolate with ± involute margins, silvery strigose-sericeous abaxially, often drying greenish; inner tepals 10–12 × 5–8 mm, broadly elliptic, glabrous except for the abaxial midrib, the hairs unequally 3–6-armed (stellate) usually with one arm strongly developed.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Filaments 1.3–1.6 mm long; thecae 3–4.5(5.7) mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Style 0.5–1(2.3) mm long; stigma 1–2(3.5) mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Capsule 4–8 × 3–6 mm, turbinate, 16- to 20-seeded.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds black and glossy, 1.2–1.7 mm in diameter, globose; testa papillose, the papilla minute varying from incipient dome-shaped undulations to sharply conical points, the cuticle smooth and shiny.

Hypoxidaceae, I. Nordal & C. Zimudzi. Flora Zambesiaca 12:3. 2001

Morphology General Habit

Perennial herb up to c. 30 cm tall.

Vegetative Multiplication Rhizomes

Rhizome vertical, 2–4 cm long, 1.4–4.5(6) cm in diameter, subglobose to hemispheric, equatorially ringed by stout contractile roots.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves ternate, ± conduplicate, with funnel-shaped basal sheaths which envelop the sheaths of successive inner leaves; outermost leaves reduced to sheaths with lamina ± absent; inner leaves 4–8, arching when mature becoming straggling, up to c. 40 cm long and 2 cm wide (width measured when the folded blades are spread apart and flattened), linear, with numerous closely spaced longitudinal veins which in the apical portion of leaf are much broader than the groove between; lamina white pilose-pubescent outside particularly toward the leaf apex of young leaves, glabrous inside, becoming glabrescent outside; margins and abaxial midrib densely white lanate; indumentum hairs up to c. 3 mm long, 3–10-armed (stellate), with arms subequal ascending-spreading, silvery-white.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Scape

Scapes 1–6, narrowly to broadly strap-shaped, up to 18 cm long, flattened in cross-section and widening gradually in the upper part to 3–6 mm wide, width reducing in steps as pedicels diverge; ± densely white-sericeous to spreading-pubescent particularly towards the apex and on the margins towards the base, the hairs 3–8-armed (stellate), with arms 0.6–2 mm long and mostly directed towards the scape apex.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers 8–26 in a dense cylindrical racemose arrangement up to c. 10 cm long; pedicels 2–7 mm long, ascending; bracts up to 25 mm long, subulate-lanceolate, exceeding the pedicels.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Perianth

Perianth c. 20 mm in diameter when open; tepals 12–17 mm long and 5–7(8) mm broad, narrowly ovate-lanceolate, the inner tepals wider than the outer, ± inrolled on the margins, tufted white sericeous-pubescent outside, the hairs 3–7-armed (stellate) with 1–2 arms up to 2 mm long and the others somewhat reduced.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Filaments 2.2–3 mm long; thecae 4.5–5 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Style c. 3 mm long; stigma 1.5–2.5 mm long, narrowly pyramidal.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Capsule 6–8 × 3.5–4 mm, excluding the persistent perianth, turbinate-obconic, circumscissile.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds greyish-brown, 1.6–1.8 mm in diameter; testa papillose, each papilla with a minutely wrinkled cuticle and 3–4 longitudinal narrow wing-like ribs.