Liliaceae and Melanthiaceae: geophytes present in California but not South Africa

South Africa is extraordinarily rich in geophytes, belonging to a bewildering array of families and genera.

However, these exclude two families of geophytes important in California, where the climates are similar to those of Western Cape province.

I refer to Liliaceae and Melanthiaceae.

Liliaceae

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=14&taxon_id=47328&view=species

Calochortus

tunicated bulbs (some spp. lack bulbs)

Calochortus catalinae https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/64411-Calochortus-catalinae

chaparral

Fritillaria

bulb of one or more fleshy scales, with or without rice-grain bulblets

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=14&taxon_id=50619&view=species

Fritillaria biflora https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/56793-Fritillaria-biflora
bulb 1.5-2 cm diam., of a few fleshy scales

Fritillaria affinis https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/56793-Fritillaria-biflora
bulb of a few scales, and many 'rice-grain' bulblets

Lilium

scaly bulbs or scaly rootstocks

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=14&taxon_id=48928&view=species

Lilium humboldtii https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/59575-Lilium-humboldtii
bulbs ovoid, oblique 0.5-1.5 cm long

Melanthiaceae

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=14&taxon_id=49464&view=species
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=14&taxon_id=49650&view=species

Toxicoscordion fremontii https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/49649-Toxicoscordion-fremontii
bulb 3-6 cm long
chaparral

Toxicoscordion venenosum https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/59087-Toxicoscordion-venenosum
tunicated bulb

Posted on December 1, 2022 05:48 AM by milewski milewski

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