Plant Portraits 3. African gems and curiosities

 

 

  (Note images in this series were generated with the assistance of modern AI tools. No actual human individuals are portrayed here. See the first installment of the series for further explanation)

When we think of Africa, we usually picture the incredible array of animals there, including our closest relatives. Africa also hosts some remarkable plant life however.

The gloriosa lily (Gloriosa superba, also known as G. rothschildiana) is one of the most spectacular wildflowers of the African savanna region. The genus Gloriosa (family Colchicaceae) has 12 species, mostly found in Africa. All are highly toxic.

 

Scadoxus multiflorus (family Amaryllidaceae) and Clematopsis scabiosifolia (family Ranunculaceae) are two more spectacular flowers of the African savanna. A mother ostrich and her young chick are passing by, with several of the strange baobob trees, Adansonia digitata (Malvaceae)  in the distance. Other trees in the background are species of Acacia. 

Africa is home to a number of Stapeliads (Stapelia and related genera in the Milkweed Family (Asclepiadaceae). Collectively they are known as carrion flowers, because they emit an odor that mimics that of rotting flesh in order to attract pollinating carrion flies.

 

The bizarre Welwitschia mirabilis is an odd gymnosperm distantly related to the conifers. The plant s only produce two leaves during its lifespan of 1000 plus years. The parallel-veined leaves grow continuously from meristems at their bases, but with age split into a number of segments, giving the appearance of a crown of multiple leaves. The stem has no apical meristem. Male and female cones, on separate plants, emerge from the axils of the two leaves, around a concave central disk. Occurring only in the extremely dry Namib Desert of southwestern Africa, it relies on long taproots to access deep groundwater, as well as a system of fine shallow roots that collect drops condensing on leaves from the fog that rolls in from the Atlantic Ocean.