Watsonieae is the second largest tribe in the subfamily Crocoideae (which is included in the family Iridaceae) and named after the best-known genus in it — Watsonia. The members in this group are widely distributed in Africa, mainly in its southern parts.

Watsonieae
Watsonia tabularis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Iridaceae
Subfamily: Crocoideae
Tribe: Watsonieae
Klatt
Genera

See text

The species in this tribe sometimes have the typical sword-shaped leaves of the family Iridaceae, but sometimes, like in Lapeirousia pyramidalis or Lapeirousia divaricata, they have different morphologies. The rootstock is a corm.

The flowers are arranged in inflorescences and sometimes are scented. The flowers have six tepals which are identical in the most cases or have small differences. The ovary is 3-locular.

Watsonia is often used for ornamental purposes. The other genera have ornamental potential but are less well known.

List of genera edit

Genera:[1]

References edit

  1. ^ Goldblatt, Peter; Rodriguez, Aaron; Powell, M. P.; Davies, Jonathan T.; Manning, John C.; van der Bank, M.; Savolainen, Vincent (2008). "Iridaceae 'Out of Australasia'? Phylogeny, Biogeography, and Divergence Time Based on Plastid DNA Sequences" (PDF). Systematic Botany. 33 (3): 495–508. doi:10.1600/036364408785679806. ISSN 0363-6445.