Astroloba tenax

Astroloba tenax is a succulent plant of the genus Astroloba, indigenous to the Western Cape Province, South Africa.

Astroloba tenax
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Asphodelaceae
Subfamily: Asphodeloideae
Genus: Astroloba
Species:
A. tenax
Binomial name
Astroloba tenax
Molteno, Van Jaarsv. & Gideon F.Sm.

Description

Astroloba species are all low-growing, branching, succulent plants. They have sharp triangular succulent leaves which have keels on their undersides.

Flowers of Astroloba tenax showing distinctive gray perianths, constricted openings and yellow lobes.

Astroloba tenax has curved, spreading leaves, which have a shiny surface, often with a variation of lines, spots or tubercles. It has extremely tall, thin inflorescences that are often branched. Each flower in tiny, gray and tubular, with a constricted yellow neck, and lobes which barely open. It is extremely variable in size and the moltenoi variety has the largest plants in the genus. Astroloba tenax is distinguished by its flowers and by the form of its glossy leaves.[1]

Distribution

This species is restricted to a small, arid area in the vicinity of Prince Albert, in the Western Cape Province, South Africa.[2][3]

Varieties[4]
  • A. tenax var. tenax: The type variety.
  • A. tenax var. moltenoi: Larger eastern variety.

References
  1. S.Molteno (2018) Prince Albert's Astroloba. Haworthiad 32, 1. ISSN 1359-1614
  2. S.Molteno, E.van Jaarsveld, G.Smith. (2017): Astroloba tenax Molteno, Van Jaarsv. & Gideon F.Sm., a new species from the Groot Swartberg Mountain, South Africa. Bradleya 35, pp. 139-149.
  3. Pandora Roberts Reinecke: Genus Astroloba Uitewaal (Liliaceae). UCT Department of Biological Sciences. 1965.
  4. Gideon F. Smith & Ernst J. van Jaarsveld (2017). Astroloba tenax var. moltenoi Gideon F.Sm. & Van Jaarsv. (Asphodelaceae: Alooideae), a new variety in Astroloba tenax Molteno, Van Jaarsv. & Gideon F.Sm. from the south-central Groot Karoo, South Africa. Bradleya (35):238-243.
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