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Ledebouria atropurpurea

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Photo by Cok Grootscholten.


A plant with a hint of bulb from Giromagi.com.

Author: 

J. C. Manning & P. Goldblatt, 2004

Family: 

HYACINTHACEAE*

Origin: 

Eastern South Africa

Soil: 

Mix - Rich

Water: 

Medium - Maximum

Sun: 

Minimum - Medium

Thickness: 

4 Centimetres

Height: 

18 Centimetres

Flower: 

Pale Pink

Propagate: 

Seeds/Bulbs

Names: 

Purple African Hyacinth

Synonyms: 

Drimiopsis atropurpurea, Nicholas Edward Brown, 1921.
Drimiopsis purpurea
, Frederick Ziervogel Van der Merwe, 1946.

This member of the Hyacinthaceae* family was given this name by John C. Manning and Peter Goldblatt in 2004. It is found in eastern South Africa, growing in a well drained soil but rather rich with quite some water and little to some sun. The bulb can grow to four centimetres in diameter, the entire plant to 18 centimetres in height. The flowers are pale pink.

The genera is named after Prof. Dr. Carl F. von Ledebour, 1785-1851, a German-Estonian botanist. The species name from Latin ater; 'black, clothed in dark' and purpureus, 'purple', referring to the  dark-purple spots on the leaves. Well, if it get plenty of light.

*)Accordantly to the latest taxonomic system; APG IV 2016, Hyacinthaceae is now part of the Asparagaceae.