Accession Data:
Xerophyta retinervis Baker
- Common Name: Black Stick Lily
- Family: Velloziaceae Endl.
- Country of Origin: Botswana to Swaziland
- Description: [syn. Vellozia retinervis]
Trunk to 12 feet high with a terminal tuft of leaves. Leaves long-linear, recurved, rigid, galbrous. Flowers blue, 1.5 inches across; segments 1.25 to 1.5 inches long, 1/4 to 1/2 inch wide, glabrous without; anthers 1/2 inch long, nearly petiole or a stigma, when the style is absent.">sessile, peduncles dark above, somewhat bristly beneath ovary; ovary oblong, densely covered with ascending brown bristles.
One of the most remarkable characteristics of Xerophyta species is that they are able to survive long periods without water. Once the leaves of the X. retinervis are air-dry, they can remain viable for prolonged periods. The dry winter season lasts 5 to 6 months. When it rains again, the plants rehydrate completely and remarkably resume their full metabolic functions within 24 to 72 hours.4
Accession Data:
- Accession # 199700041
- Source: Ernest DeMarie - NYBG
- Accession Date: 07-29-1997
- Bench: 2114 - MED:Fynbos F
- Currently: active - healthy
- Qty: 2 confirmed on 03-12-2025
Classification:
- Division: Magnoliophyta
- Class: Liliopsida
- SubClass: monocots
- Order: Pandanales
- SubOrder:
- Family: Velloziaceae
- SubFamily: Vellozioideae
- Tribe:
- SubTribe:
Flowering Data:
This accession has been observed in bloom on:| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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References (internal):
- EEB Greenhouse Holdings native to: Botswana / Swaziland / Northern Provinces
References (external):
- RHS Dictionary of Gardening, 1984
- The Plant List (2013). Version 1.1. Last accessed on Friday, September 29, 2017.
- WCSP (2017). World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Last accessed on Friday, September 29, 2017.
- Xerophyta retinervis at PlantzAfrica. Last accessed on Friday, September 29, 2017.
- Image #00 (cropped) & #03 (original) by Rotational (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons. Last accessed on Friday, September 29, 2017.
- How can we make plants survive without water at TED Talks. Last accessed on Friday, September 29, 2017.
data regenerated on Wed, 12 Mar 2025 11:42:06 -0400 [bcm v4.0]
Images:
Additional images for this accession:
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Current Accessions in the Velloziaceae
Subfamily Vellozioideae
W/C = Wild Collected
= indicates flowering in past 14 days
= images available for this accession
= map available for this accession
= accession added within past 90 days