Trachyandra falcata (L.f.) Kunth

국표에 없다.

Trachyandra falcata is a fast-growing, summer-dormant, perennial geophyte, easily propagated from seed. The young inflorescences are harvested in winter and cooked as a delicious vegetable. The 2–4, sickle-shaped, bluish green leaves grow in opposite rows. It is endemic to the semi-arid regions of the Western and Northern Cape.

Summer-dormant geophyte with an indistinct shallow tuber; the roots greyish white, horizontally spreading and 4–6 mm in diameter. The basal plate is about 12–17 mm in diameter, grey-white, subtended by transparent, brownish, dried bracts (tunics).

The 2–4 leaves grow in opposite rows (distichous) and are ascending, spreading, sickle-shaped (falcate), spear-shaped (lanceolate) tapering, 250–600 mm long, 15–20 mm broad at the base and widening to 20–40 mm and gradually tapering to the apex, fleshy, the surface glaucous, bluish green, smooth to hairy, indistinctly lineate; margin entire; the apex acute.

The inflorescence is about 200–400 mm long and almost rounded (subterete); the inflorescence stalk (scape) is 7–8 mm in diameter at the base, up to 160 mm long, solitary or dividing in the upper portion (up to 3 branches) and subtended by large, leafy, greenish, semi-translucent bracts fused at the base and 15 mm long, acute at the apices; raceme 60–120 mm long. The flowers, with pedicles 10 mm long and 0.7 mm in diameter, are each subtended by a large papery and translucent, ovate or lanceolate, membranous bract, 15 × 7 mm, acuminate and brownish at their apices; tepals 12.0 × 2.5–3.0 mm, whitish translucent and with a brownish midrib, and each tepal has a distinct yellow blotch close to their base; ovary green, 1.5 mm long, 1 mm broad, with a grooved style, 9 mm long, white; the stigma minute. Capsule oblong, obovoid, 19–13 × 4 mm, on ascending pedicles, lengthening to 20–23 mm long when ripe, 2.0 × 1.5 mm, grey, faintly blackish, mottled surface smooth. Flowering time is midwinter (July) to spring (October).

Trachyandra falcata | PlantZAfrica (sanbi.org)

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