Hypoxis

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Hypoxis
Hypoxis angustifolia
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Hypoxidaceae
Genus: Hypoxis
L.
Species

See text.

Hypoxis is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Hypoxidaceae. The genus has an "almost cosmopolitan" distribution, occurring in Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Australia.[1] Europe lacks native species.[2] Most species are in the Southern Hemisphere, especially in southern Africa.[3] Common names for the genus include star-grass,[3] star lily, yellow stars, African potato,[1] and stars.[4]

Description

These plants are perennial herbs with corms or rhizomes. Some have tubers. The aboveground herbage is a layered cluster of lance-shaped, linear, or hairlike leaves, sometimes sheathed together at the bases. The blades are usually at least slightly hairy. The flowers are borne on a short, stemlike scape in a raceme or umbel arrangement, or sometimes singly. The flower has six yellow tepals which may be hairy, especially on the undersides. The undersides may also be whitish or tinged green or red. Occasional flowers have 4 or 8 tepals. The fruit is a capsule with a few to many small, oily seeds.[1][3][4]

The seeds are needed to identify many species. Most have seeds less than 2 millimeters long, so microscopic examination is required.[5]

Uses

Hypoxis plants have long played a role in traditional African medicine; H. hemerocallidea and H. colchicifolia are the best known species used to make medicine and teas. The corms of the former are used in the treatment of AIDS,[6] and the plant has been called a "wonder herb" and "miracle cure".[1] Hypoxis roots are widely touted as boosters of immune system function in AIDS patients by the media and even by the South African Ministry of Health.[6] This claim has not been tested in research.[1]

Species

Sources have estimated 90[1][5] or 100[3] to 150[7] species in the genus. As of August 2013, the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families recognized 90 species:[8]

  • Hypoxis abyssinica Hochst.
  • Hypoxis acuminata Baker
  • Hypoxis angustifolia Lam.
  • Hypoxis argentea Harv. ex Baker
  • Hypoxis arillacea R.J.F.Hend.
  • Hypoxis aurea Lour.
  • Hypoxis bampsiana Wiland
  • Hypoxis camerooniana Baker
  • Hypoxis canaliculata Baker
  • Hypoxis catamarcensis Brackett
  • Hypoxis colchicifolia Baker
  • Hypoxis colliculata Sánchez-Ken[9]
  • Hypoxis costata Baker
  • Hypoxis cuanzensis Welw. ex Baker
  • Hypoxis curtissii Rose in J.K.Small – Curtiss' star-grass
  • Hypoxis decumbens L.
  • Hypoxis demissa Nel
  • Hypoxis dinteri Nel
  • Hypoxis domingensis Urb.
  • Hypoxis exaltata Nel
  • Hypoxis exilis R.J.F.Hend. – swamp star
  • Hypoxis filiformis Baker
  • Hypoxis fischeri Pax
  • Hypoxis flanaganii Baker
  • Hypoxis floccosa Baker
  • Hypoxis galpinii Baker
  • Hypoxis gardneri R.J.F.Hend.
  • Hypoxis gerrardii Baker
  • Hypoxis glabella R.Br. – star grass, tiny star
  • Hypoxis glabella R.Br.
  • Hypoxis goetzei Harms
  • Hypoxis gregoriana Rendle
  • Hypoxis hemerocallidea Fisch. – African potato
  • Hypoxis hirsuta (L.) Coville – common goldstar
  • Hypoxis humilis Kunth
  • Hypoxis hygrometrica Labill. – golden weather-glass
  • Hypoxis interjecta Nel
  • Hypoxis juncea Sm. – fringed yellow star-grass
  • Hypoxis kilimanjarica Baker
  • Hypoxis kraussiana Buchinger ex C.Krauss
  • Hypoxis lata Nel
  • Hypoxis lejolyana Wiland
  • Hypoxis leucotricha Fritsch
  • Hypoxis limicola B.L.Burtt
  • Hypoxis longifolia Baker
  • Hypoxis lucens McVaugh
  • Hypoxis ludwigii Baker
  • Hypoxis lusalensis Wiland
  • Hypoxis malaissei Wiland
  • Hypoxis marginata R.Br.
  • Hypoxis membranacea Baker
  • Hypoxis mexicana Schult. & Schult.f. – Mexican yellow star-grass
  • Hypoxis monanthos Baker
  • Hypoxis muhilensis Wiland
  • Hypoxis multiceps Buchinger ex Baker
  • Hypoxis neliana Schinz
  • Hypoxis nervosa R.J.F.Hend.
  • Hypoxis nivea Y.Singh
  • Hypoxis nyasica Baker
  • Hypoxis oblonga Nel
  • Hypoxis obtusa Burch. ex Ker Gawl.
  • Hypoxis occidentalis Benth.
  • Hypoxis oligophylla Baker
  • Hypoxis parvifolia Baker
  • Hypoxis parvula Baker
  • Hypoxis polystachya Welw. ex Baker
  • Hypoxis potosina Brackett
  • Hypoxis pratensis R.Br.
  • Hypoxis protrusa Nel
  • Hypoxis pulchella G.L.Nesom
  • Hypoxis rigida Chapm.
  • Hypoxis rigidula Baker
  • Hypoxis robusta Nel
  • Hypoxis sagittata Nel
  • Hypoxis salina M.Lyons & Keighery
  • Hypoxis schimperi Baker
  • Hypoxis sessilis L.
  • Hypoxis setosa Baker
  • Hypoxis sobolifera Jacq.
  • Hypoxis stellipilis Ker Gawl.
  • Hypoxis suffruticosa Nel
  • Hypoxis symoensiana Wiland
  • Hypoxis tepicensis Brackett
  • Hypoxis tetramera Hilliard & B.L.Burtt
  • Hypoxis uniflorata Markötter
  • Hypoxis upembensis Wiland
  • Hypoxis urceolata Nel
  • Hypoxis vaginata Schltdl. – yellow star
  • Hypoxis villosa L.f.
  • Hypoxis wrightii (Baker) Brackett
  • Hypoxis zeyheri Baker

Gallery

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hypoxis.
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Singh, Y. (Natal Herbarium, Durban). Hypoxis. plantzafrica: South African National Biodiversity Institute. 2004.
  2. ↑ Hypoxis. Flora of China.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Hypoxis. Flora of North America.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Hypoxis. FloraBase. Western Australian Herbarium.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Zona, S., et al. (2009). A seed atlas of Hypoxis from eastern North America. J. Torrey Bot. Soc 136(1) 26-32.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Mills, E., et al. (2005). African herbal medicines in the treatment of HIV: Hypoxis and Sutherlandia. An overview of evidence and pharmacology. Nutrition Journal 4, 19.
  7. ↑ Genus Hypoxis. New South Wales Flora Online. National Herbarium. Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney.
  8. ↑ Search for "Hypoxis", "World Checklist of Selected Plant Families". Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2013-08-19. 
  9. ↑ Sánchez-Ken, J. G. (2010). Hypoxis colliculata (Hypoxidaceae), a new species from Mexico and a key to the American species with black seeds. Acta Bot. Mex 92, 1-9.

External links

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