Ledebouria revoluta (L.f.) Jessop
Common names: common African hyacinth (Eng.); bokhoe (Sso.); icubudwana (Zul.); inqwebebane, ubuhlungu (Xho.)
A widespread and very common species, this attractive Ledebouria shows a tremendous amount of variation across its extensive range.
A solitary to sparsely gregarious, deciduous, bulbous plant. Bulbs covered with multiple layers of brown, dry, membranous, dead bulb scales.
Leaves 5–10, lanceolate to narrowly triangular, somewhat leathery, produced in summer simultaneously with or after the flowers, green usually with various spots and markings mostly on the upper surface, lower surface plain green or variously spotted and marked.
Multiple inflorescences usually more than 3, up to about 7, are produced mostly in spring and early summer (October to November in South Africa), but can be produced at any time of the year, subject to rainfall patterns. Plants in the winter rainfall areas flower from April to August. The decumbent inflorescences hang outward and downward out of the rosette of leaves, where they position themselves mostly at or near ground level. The somewhat flattened decumbent peduncle (main stalk) is green and may be slightly spotted and marked with faint to bold, purple markings, with many small florets (small flowers) borne at the distal end in a bottle-brush-like fashion.
Each individual floret is attached to the peduncle via a slender green pedicel (flower stalk). The individual florets are comprised of 6 strongly recurved tepals (petals), which are usually green with pale or dark pink margins. The conspicuous maroon stamens extend beyond the tepals, bearing small, pale yellow anthers at their tips.
Ledebouria revoluta is very common and occurs over a very wide range, therefore it is not regarded as being under any threat of extinction and is assessed as Least Concern (LC) in the Red List of South African plants.
Distribution and habitat
Ledebouria revoluta is recorded as being the most widely distributed species in South Africa and probably in the world. It occurs in all the provinces in South Africa. The densest area of occurrence is in the more moist eastern parts of South Africa especially the Northern Provinces and KwaZulu-Natal. Beyond South Africa, the species is recorded to occur in the following countries: Angola, Botswana, Chad, Eritrea, Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Socotra, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda and Yemen. The species is common in many different vegetation types and is most commonly found in South Africa in savanna and grassland. Future studies of are needed to clarify if it is indeed one or more species across such a huge range, since such vast variation is included in this species concept.
Derivation of name and historical aspects
This species was first described by Linnaeus (the younger). He placed this species in a genus named Hyacinthus (as Hyacinthus revolutus), which later proved to be incorrect, and it was transferred to Ledebouria and then Scilla, before it was finally restored in the correct genus Ledebouria. The genus is named in honour of the German-Estonian botanist, Professor Carl Friedrich von Ledebour (1785–1851). The specific name revoluta originates from the Latin revolutus, which normally refers to the way in which the terminal edge of an organ is rolled back. It may in this case have been used to describe the way the tepals roll back when the flowers are open.
South Africa has 39 species of Ledebouria (in section Ledebouria). However, when considered together with section Drimiopsis and section Resnova, there are 59 species in South Africa.
Ledebouria revoluta can easily be confused in the field with several other Ledebouria species, namely L. marginata, L. asperifolia, L. ovatifolia, L. cremnophylla, L. zebrina, L. apertiflora, L. ensifolia, L. macowanii, L. inquinata, L. luteola and. L. floribunda.
Although there is little documented information about the ecology of this species, porcupines are known to dig out and eat the bulbs of several species of Ledebouria and large ungulates have been observed to browse the leaves.
The flowers are open and cup-shaped with their pollen openly presented, which suggests that the flowers are opportunistically pollinated by most visiting insects. In the wild many different insects can be seen visiting the flowers which are not recorded as being scented, most notably honey bees. The inflorescences are mostly erect to spreading becoming flaccid with age; this may have something to do with optimizing visibility of the flowers amongst the grass for the pollinators. The seed is small black and roundish. S. Venter (1993) suggests that Ledebouria seeds may be distributed by water wash, which is likely after heavy thunderstorms, which are frequent across the areas where the species occurs.
The genus Ledebouria has been is cited as having been used medicinally for purposes including pregnancy, diarrhoea, influenza, backache, skin irritations, wound treatment as well as lumbago. The genus is also reported as being poisonous, although it is also reported that bushmen ate the bulbs of certain species, including L. revoluta and L. apertiflora. However, these may have been cooked or prepared in some manner to destroy the toxins, which is not specifically documented. Despite the fact that some large ungulates do browse the leaves, the entire genus should be regarded as being poisonous as a precaution.
Growing Ledebouria revoluta
Ledebouria revoluta is very easily cultivated both in the garden and in containers. The species is best cultivated in terracotta pots in full sun, in a warm climate. The bulbs should be planted in sandy loam or well-drained, organic potting medium, with sifted kraal (cattle) manure or well-aged compost added. Watering should be done mainly during the summer growing season. The pots should be dried out during the dry winter rest period. They prefer a warm growing season but can withstand very cold temperatures in winter, while the soil is completely dry and the plants are dormant, although temperatures would seldom drop below freezing point in the natural habitat. During the dry winter dormancy period, the pots should be moved out of the rain and placed in a dry, cool area with good air movement. Watering can commence at the onset of warmer weather (August to September in South Africa). Keeping the plants in strong sunlight, results in the darkest and most bold leaf markings, which quickly fade in the shade.
Propagation from seed is the best method of producing new plants. Seed must be sown fresh in spring or summer, in deep seed trays filled with the sifted potting mixture detailed above. The seed can be sown on a firmly tamped surface and lightly covered with the same mixture, approximately 2 mm deep. The seed trays should be kept in a bright, warm position out of direct sunlight and kept damp for between 2 to 3 weeks, until germination has commenced. Once the seedlings have emerged, watering can be reduced. The seedlings can be pricked out into community pots or individual containers after their first year. Repotting should be done shortly before the onset of warmer temperatures. Flowering size bulbs can be attained after 3 to 5 years.
- Hankey, A. 2011-07. Ledebouria Roth (Hyacinthaceae). PlantZAfrica. Internet 5 pp. http://pza.sanbi.org/ledebouria-genus
- Hankey, A.J. & Victor, J.E. 2005. Ledebouria revoluta (L.f.) Jessop. National Assessment: Red List of South African plants version 2017.1. Accessed on 2018/11/06.
- Jessop, J.P. 1970. Studies in the bulbous Liliaceae in South Africa: 1. Scilla, Schizocarpus and Ledebouria. Journal of South African Botany 36(4): 233–266.
- Venter, S. 1993. A revision of the genus Ledebouria Roth (Hyacinthaceae) in South Africa. Unpublished M.Sc. thesis, University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg.
- Venter, S. 2008. Synopsis of the genus Ledebouria Roth (Hyacinthaceae) in South Africa. Herbertia 62
- Wikipedia. Carl Friedrich von Ledebour. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Friedrich_von_Ledebour. Accessed 6 November 2018.
Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden
Plant Type: Bulb
SA Distribution: Eastern Cape, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North West, Western Cape
Soil type: Sandy, Loam
Flowering season: Spring, Early Summer
Flower colour: Green, Pink
Aspect: Full Sun, Morning Sun (Semi Shade)
Gardening skill: Easy