The Genus Lachenalia

Book excerpt: This is the first complete and illustrated monograph of the genus Lachenalia, a horticulturally important and botanically diverse plant group. Lachenalia ranks with Gladiolus as one of the two most popular genera of South African bulbous plants worldwide, and next to Ornithogalum is the second-largest member of the family Hyacinthaceae in southern Africa.The flowers of some species have exceptionally showy blooms that occur in numerous interesting colours, shapes and sizes, and their fascinating leaves, many of which are attractively spotted or barred, or covered with attractive hairs or pustules. The flowers of many species are attractive in another dimension in that they emit distinctive aromas, ranging from spicy (like cloves) to various degrees of sweet (like a mixture of carnations and orchids), while one species is strongly coconut-scented.All species are described, classified and illustrated, with detailed text on history, morphology, phylogeny, phytogeography, pollination biology, cultivation and propagation. This book includes many highly attractive species which have never been illustrated in colour before, with 11 new taxa, ten of which are new species.This will become the standard reference work on all aspects of the genus and will appeal to botanists and taxonomists, bulb-growers, horticulturalists, gardeners, collectors of fine botanical works, ecologists and nature conservationists, as well as libraries and universities.