Agapanthus praecox

From Gardenology.org - Plant Encyclopedia and Gardening Wiki
Revision as of 01:12, 5 February 2011 by Raffi (talk | contribs)
(diff) ← Older revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)
Jump to navigationJump to search


Agapanthuspraecox.jpg


Plant Characteristics
Habit   herbaceous

Height: 40 in"in" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 40.
Width: 40 in"in" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 40. to 50 in"in" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 50.
Lifespan: perennial
Bloom: early summer, mid summer, late summer
Cultivation
Exposure: sun
Water: moist, moderate, dry
Features: evergreen, flowers, naturalizes, foliage
USDA Zones: 9 to 11
Sunset Zones: not available
Flower features: blue, purple
Scientific Names

Alliaceae >

Agapanthus >

praecox >


Agapanthus praecox (Common Agapanthus[1], Blue Lily[1], African Lily[2], or Lily of the Nile[3]) is a plant species in the family Alliaceae and a native of the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. Local names for this species include agapant, bloulelie, isicakathi and ubani.[1] Most of the cultivated plants of the genus Agapanthus are hybrids or cultivars of this species.[1]

More information about this species can be found on the genus page.

Cultivation

Do you have cultivation info on this plant? Edit this section!

Propagation

Do you have propagation info on this plant? Edit this section!

Pests and diseases

Do you have pest and disease info on this plant? Edit this section!

Varieties

Agapanthus praecox is a variable species with open-faced flowers. It is divided into three subspecies: subsp.praecox, subsp. orientalis and subsp. minimus.[1]

subsp. praecox

This subspecies occurs in Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It usually grows to between 0.8 and 1 metre tall and has 10-11 leathery leaves. The blue flowers, appear from December to February.[1] These have perianth segments which are greater than 50 mm in length.[1]

subsp. orientalis

Closeup of the flowers from the subspecies Orientalis.

This subspecies occurs in Eastern Cape and southern KwaZulu-Natal. Although it is about the same height as subsp. praecox, it has up to 20 poisonous, strap-like leaves per plant which are arching and are not leathery.[1] These range in length from 20 to 70 cm long and 3 to 5 cm wide.

[4] Flower clolour ranges from blue to white.[1][3] Shiny black seeds are produced in three-sided capsules.[3] These have perianth segments which are less than 50 mm in length.[1]

subsp. minimus

Occurring in the southeastern Western Cape and Eastern Cape, this subspecies is the smallest, ranging in height from 300 to 600 mm. It has a longer flowering season, from November to March. Flower colour includes white and various shades of blue.[1]

Gallery

If you have a photo of this plant, please upload it! Plus, there may be other photos available for you to add.

References

External links


  1. 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 " Agapanthus praecox Willd.". PlantZAfrica.com. South African National Biodiversity Institute. Retrieved on 2008-07-20. Template:Dead link
  2. "Taxon: Agapanthus praecox Willd.". Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville Area. Retrieved on 2008-07-20.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Agapanthus - Bush Invader". Retrieved on 2008-07-20.
  4. "Agapanthus praecox subsp. orientalis (F.M.Leight.) F.M.Leight.". PlantNET - New South Wales Flora Online. Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust, Sydney Australia. Retrieved on 2008-07-20.