''Apodolirion'' is a genus of

herbaceous Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition of ...

perennial In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...

and

bulbous plants Bulb or Bulbs may refer to: Common uses * Bulb, a food-storage structure within some plants ** Ornamental bulbous plant, Ornamental bulb, a kind of perennial plant * Light bulb, an electric lamp Maritime * Bulb keel, a type of keel * Bulbous b ...

in the Amaryllis family (

Amaryllidaceae The Amaryllidaceae are a family of herbaceous, mainly perennial and bulbous (rarely rhizomatous) flowering plants in the monocot order Asparagales. The family takes its name from the genus '' Amaryllis'' and is commonly known as the amaryl ...

, subfamily

Amaryllidoideae Amaryllidoideae (Amaryllidaceae ''s.s.'', amaryllids) is a subfamily of monocot flowering plants in the Family (biology), family Amaryllidaceae, Order (biology), order Asparagales. The most recent Angiosperm Phylogeny Group, APG classification, A ...

). It consists of 6 species native to Southern Africa.

Description

Vegetative characteristics

''Apodolirion'' are bulbous plants''Apodolirion''. (n.d.). Pacific Bulb Society. Retrieved February 11, 2025, from https://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/apodolirion with tunicate bulbs.

Generative characteristics

The fragrant, ephemeral, tubular,Iziko Museums of South Africa. (n.d.). ''Apodolirion''. Biodiversity Explorer. Retrieved February 11, 2025, from https://www.biodiversityexplorer.info/plants/amaryllidaceae/apodolirion.htm delicate, solitary, sessile flower has a perianth of six tepals. The androecium consists of 6 stamens. The gynoecium consists of 3 carpels. The stigma is tri-lobed. The long, cylindrical, fragrant fruit bears many small, hard seeds.Meerow, A. W., & Clayton, J. R. (2004). Generic relationships among the baccate-fruited Amaryllidaceae (tribe Haemantheae) inferred from plastid and nuclear non-coding DNA sequences. Plant Systematics and Evolution, 244(3/4), 141–155. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23645270

Cytology

The basic chromosome number is x = 6.

Taxonomy

It was published by

John Gilbert Baker John Gilbert Baker (13 January 1834 – 16 August 1920) was an England, English botanist. His son was the botanist Edmund Gilbert Baker (1864–1949). Biography Baker was born in Guisborough in North Yorkshire, the son of John and Mary (née ...

in 1878. The lectotype species ''Apodolirion buchananii'' was designated in 1951. It is placed in the tribe

Haemantheae Haemantheae are a tribe of subfamily Amaryllidoideae (family Amaryllidaceae). They are herbaceous monocot perennial flowering plants with a predominantly African distribution. Three subtribes are proposed and six genera including the type genus, ...

.USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2025. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. URL: https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomygenus?id=857. Accessed 11 February 2025. ''Apodolirion'' and ''Gethyllis'' may represent a single genus.Conrad, F. E. R. O. Z. A. H., Reeves, G. A. I. L., Snijman, D. A., & Hedderson, T. A. (2006)
Genetic relationships within the tribe Haemantheae (Amaryllidaceae) based on plastd DNA sequence data.
Taxonomy and ecology of African plants, their conservation and sustainable use, 73-83.

Etymology

The generic name ''Apodolirion'' means "stemless flower".South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI). (n.d.-a). ''Apodolirion amyanum''. PlantZAfrica. Retrieved February 11, 2025, from https://pza.sanbi.org/apodolirion-amyanum

Species

It has six species:''Apodolirion'' Baker. (n.d.). Plants of the World Online. Retrieved February 11, 2025, from https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:1342-1 *'' Apodolirion amyanum'' *'' Apodolirion bolusii'' *'' Apodolirion buchananii'' *'' Apodolirion cedarbergense'' *'' Apodolirion lanceolatum'' *'' Apodolirion macowanii''

Ecology

Habitat

It occurs in the summer rainfall regions of South Africa.

Pollination

The flowers are pollinated by bees.

Seed dispersal

The seeds are dispersed by ants.Kiepiel, I., & Johnson, S. D. (2024)
Scent‐mediated bee pollination and myrmecochory in an enigmatic geophyte with pyrogenic flowering and subterranean development of fleshy fruits.
American Journal of Botany, 111(11), e16421.

Conservation

''Apodolirion amyanum'' is classified as Endangered (EN) according to the Red List of South African plants.

Uses

''A. buchananii'' (known as "Natal Crocus") is cultivated as an ornamental plant. It is a small plant with solitary flowers, that bloom in spring.

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q147863 Amaryllidoideae Amaryllidaceae genera Taxa named by John Gilbert Baker Plants described in 1878 Endemic flora of South Africa