1754 



KNIPHOFIA 



KNIPHOFIA 



AA. Perianth short, mostly %in. or less long. 



B. Fls. (perianth) not more than %in. long. 



c. Color of fls. white, when open. 



14. modesta, Baker. Lvs. linear, rigid, \Y% ft. long, 

 sharply keeled: raceme moderately dense and spike- 

 like, secund or 1-sided, 4-7 in. long, on a slender 

 peduncle as long as the Ivs.; fls. M m - long, the perianth 

 cylindrical, and the segms. ovate; anthers at length 

 just exserted. Griqualand, S. Afr. Probably not in 

 cult., the next having been confused with it. In the 

 original description the fls. are described as yellow. 



15. spfirsa, N. E. Br. A much stouter plant than K. 

 modesta, with Ivs. 2-2J^ ft. long: peduncle 1Yr%Yi ft. 

 high, bearing a spike 9-18 in. long; fls. reddish or red- 

 dish; brown in bud but white when expanded, rather 

 laxly scattered and directed to all sides. Natal. B.M. 

 7293 (asK. modesta). 



cc. Color of fls. yellow. 



16. brevifl&ra, Harvey. Lvs. linear, not rigid, 12-18 

 in. long and very narrow, strong ribs about 5, margin 

 scabrous: raceme dense, \Yz in. or less long, on a slen- 

 der peduncle as long as the Ivs.; fls. yellow, on very 

 short pedicels; perianth cylindrical, J^in. long; segms. 

 ovate and obtuse; stamens as long as perianth. S. Afr. 



BB. Fls. (perianth) %-% in. long. 

 c. Shape of perianth funnelform (flaring at the end). 

 D. Stamens exserted more than the length of perianth. 



17. com6sa, Hochst. Roqtstock thick and short, with 

 copious roots: Ivs. many, linear, bright green, to 2 ft. 

 and more long, sharply keeled, edges smooth: raceme 

 very dense, oblong, 3-4 in. long, on a peduncle equaling 

 the Ivs.; fls. bright yellow, deflexed, J^in. long and fun- 

 nel-shaped but dilated suddenly at the middle; segms. 

 very obtuse; filaments red; anthers yellow, long- 

 exserted. Nile Land. B.M. 6569. This is perhaps 

 more conspicuous by reason of its mass of stamens 

 than the outline of the spike. It is doubtful whether 

 the true K. comosa is the same as the cult, plant of that 

 name. Perhaps K. comosa and K. Leichtlinii of gardens 

 are forms of one species. In the true or botanical K. 

 comosa and K. Leichtlinii, the spikes are sometimes 

 2 or 3 on the peduncle; when there is only 1 spike, the 

 uppermost fls. open first, thus reversing the usual order 

 in the kniphofias; when there are lateral spikes, they 

 open from below upward. G.C. III. 56:410. 



18. Leichtlinii, Baker. Plant with many slender root- 

 fibers: Ivs. many, linear, strongly keeled, 3-4 ft. long 

 and ^in. wide toward base, edges smooth: fls. bright 

 yellow; perianth narrowly funnel-shaped, becoming 

 %in. long; segms. ovate, very obtuse; stamens and 

 style distinctly exserted (about \Yz times length of 

 perianth) : scape speckled with red, sometimes bearing 

 a bract 4-5 in. long, as long as the Ivs., the raceme very 

 dense and 3^ in. long. Nile Land. B.M. 6716. R.H. 

 1884, p. 556. Var. aurea, Hort. Spike or raceme 

 broad and about 1 ft. long; upper unopened fls. soft 

 orange-red and the lower ones soft yellow. 



19. multifldra, Wood & Evans. Lvs. 3-6 ft. long, 

 1 in. broad in middle, long-acuminate, deeply chan- 

 neled above, strongly keeled, with many strong nerves, 

 margin serrulate, stiffish, bright green above and some- 

 what glaucous beneath: spike 2 ft. long, dense, cylindric 

 and narrow (1 J^-2 in. diam.), on a stout peduncle as long 

 as Ivs. or shorter; fls. white or suffused with green (buds 

 yellowish), numerous, erect, produced very late; perianth 

 %in, or less long, swollen at base, narrow-funnelform; 

 segms. small and rounded, erect; filaments white, almost 

 twice the length of the perianth. Natal, 5,000-6,000 ft. 

 B.M. 7832. G.C. III. 45:196; 54:356. Gn. 77, p. 587. 



DD. Stamens exserted, not exceeding the length of the tube. 



20. paucifldra, Baker. Lvs. few, linear and rigid, 

 1-1 Yi ft. long, margin thickened and smooth: raceme 



lax, 2-3 in. long, on a slender peduncle lJ^-2 ft.; 

 fls. pale yellow; perianth narrow-funnelform, %in. 

 long; stamens shortly exserted. Eastern region. S. 

 Afr. B.M. 7269. G.C. III. 12:65; 39:101. 



21. pthnila, Kunth (Tritoma pumila, Ker-Gawl). 

 Lvs. linear, to 2 ft., glaucous, sharply keeled, 10-12 

 veins either side of midrib : raceme very dense, 3-4 in. 

 long, on a peduncle equaling the Ivs. ; fls. red, or yellow 

 to red; perianth narrow-funnelform, to %in. long, sud- 

 denly dilated above base; segms. ovate and obtuse; 

 stamens and style exserted to )|in. S. Afr. B.M. 764. 



cc. Shape of perianth nearly or quite cylindrical: fls. 



yellow or yellow-red. 

 D. Lvs. very narrow (Yzin. or less broad). 



22. gracilis, Harvey. Lvs. linear J-gin. broad, 1^-2 

 ft. long, margin smooth, 5-6 veins either side the mid- 

 rib: raceme dense, 2-3 in. long, on a peduncle as long 

 as the Ivs.; fls. pale yellow; perianth about J^in. long, 

 with a very slender tube and dilated throat; segms. 

 oblong; the longer stamens and the style exserted. 

 Eastern region, S. Afr. R.B. 39:227. 



23. citrina, Baker. Lvs. many, linear, 1 J^-2 ft. long 

 and ^jin. to perhaps J^in. broad toward the base, 

 acutely channelled down the face, slightly scabrous on 

 the edge: raceme oblong, dense, 2-3 in. long, on a 

 slender peduncle shorter than the Ivs.; fls. pale yellow; 

 perianth subcylindrical, about %in. long; segms. small 

 and ovate; stamens and style much exserted. Coast 

 region, S. Afr. 



24. ritfa, Leicht. Small: Ivs. few, linear, 12-18 

 in. long and J^in. broad toward base, firm and green, 

 sharply keeled on back, tapering to a long point, mar- 

 gin smooth: raceme lax, 4-6 in. long, on a moderately 

 stout peduncle as long as the Ivs.; lower fls. primrose- 

 yellow and upper ones tinged red, drooping; perianth 

 cylindrical, %in. long; segms. orbicular, spreading; 

 stamens and style at length exserted. Natal. B M. 

 7706. G.M. 47:562. Blooms early and for a long sea- 

 son; a good border plant. 



DD. Lvs. broader (%-2 in., toward base). 

 E. Stamens short-exserted. 



25. Tuckii, Baker. Lvs. ensiform, bright green, 

 1-1 Yi ft. long, %in. wide, margin serrate: raceme very 

 dense, 5-6 in. long, on a peduncle shorter than the Ivs.; 

 fls. yellow, tinged bright red when young, deflexed; 

 perianth subcylindrical, %in. long; segms. short, ovate 

 and obtuse; stamens shortly protruding. Central 

 region, S. Afr. One of the hardiest. 



EE. Stamens much or prominently exserted. 



26. Tysonii, Baker. In character, between /. pumila 

 and I. sarmentosa: Ivs. linear, 3-4 ft. long and at base 

 %in. broad, tapering to a long point, sharply keeled: 

 raceme very dense, 6 in. long, on a peduncle that equals 

 the Ivs.; fls. red-yellow; perianth cylindrical, %in. 

 long; segms. nearly orbicular; stamens protruding to 

 J^in. or less. Eastern region, S. Afr. Gn. 77, p. 538. 



27. foliosa, Hochst. (K. Quartinidna, A. Rich.). Lvs. 

 densely tufted, 2-3 ft. long and to 2 in. broad, ensiform, 

 acuminate, sharply keeled: raceme dense, oblong, on a 

 very stout peduncle equaling the Ivs.; fls. yellow; 

 perianth cylindrical, about %in. long; segms. small, 

 ovate and obtuse; stamens much exserted. Transvaal. 

 B.M. 6742. 



K. elm&nsis, Hort. Garden hybrid (Sprenger, Naples) between 

 K. pauciflora and K. rufa. K. erecta, Hort. Remarkable hybrid: 

 spike conical before anthesis, the buds spreading horizontally, but 

 as the spike develops the fls., beginning with the lowermost, take 

 an erect position, at the same time the axis of the spike elongating, 

 finally all the fls. becoming erect: fls. brilliant orange-scarlet, 

 fading from below upward, never expanding. G.C. III. 56:410. 

 K. excelsa, Hort. Garden hybrid, parentage not recorded: remark- 

 able for enormous size and almost campanulate fls. K. Goldelse, 

 Hort. Seedling from K. Nelsonii and K. pauciflora: fls. pure yel- 

 low. G. 32:29. K. hybrida, Hort., is a trade name used to include 

 varieties with personal names, of miscellaneous or unknown paren- 



