Eucomis

Eucomis
Eucomis autumnalis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Order:	Asparagales
Family:	Asparagaceae
Subfamily:	Scilloideae
Genus:	Eucomis L'Hér.
Species
See text

Eucomis is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae. Most species of this genus are commonly referred to as pineapple flowers or pineapple lilies. They are bulbous perennials with basal rosettes of leaves with stout stems covered in star-shaped flowers, similar to those of the pineapple - hence the common names.^[1]

Systematics

The name Eucomis is of Greek origin, eu- meaning "pleasing" and kome "hair of the head", thus referring to the tuft of leaf-like bracts that crown the inflorescence of the species in this genus.^{[citation needed]}

Species

The World Checklist of Selected Plant Families recognized 10 species, as of January 2013:^[2]

• Eucomis autumnalis (Mill.) Chitt. (syn. E. undulata Aiton)
• Eucomis bicolor Baker
• Eucomis comosa (Houtt.) Wehrh. (syns. E. punctata L'Hér., E. striata (Ker Gawl.) W.T.Aiton)
• Eucomis humilis Baker
• Eucomis montana Compton
• Eucomis pallidiflora Baker (syn. E. pole-evansii N.E.Br.)
• Eucomis regia (L.) Aiton
• Eucomis schijffii Reyneke
• Eucomis vandermerwei Verd.
• Eucomis zambesiaca Baker

Distribution

Eucomis is native to South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland, Zimbabwe and Malawi. Species can be found in grassland, forest, swamps and on river banks, but are absent from the drier regions.^[3]

References

Bibliography

• Crouch, Neil R. (2010), "An adaptation of Reyneke's key to the genus Eucomis", PlantLife (39 & 40): 45–52, retrieved 2013-08-21 

Images

Eucomis vandermerwei

External links

• Pacific bulb society wiki .
• Images of Eucomis species at wikmedia commons.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Eucomis.