African lily (Agapanthus africanus)
Description
Agapanthus africanus (L.) Hoffmanns. ( Agapanthus umbellatus without), blue tuberosa, African lily or African agapanthus is a species of the subfamily Agapanthoideae of the amaryllidaceae, although according to the classification systemcan be included in the family Alliaceae and even Liliaceae It originates in South Africa , although it has spread widely because it is used as an ornamental plant . It is an herbaceous, perennifolia, rhizomatous plant. It has a short stem that carries several long, arcuate leaves , 10 to 35 cm in length and 1 to 2 in width, in addition to a floral stipe of 25 to 60 cm in length, which is crowned by an umbel of 20 a 30 flowers bright blue, each flower, hermaphrodite and actinomorphous , 2.5 to 5 cm in diameter. In the seventeenth century it was introduced in Europe as an ornamental outdoor plant, although in areas where frost is common, it requires protective amendments that prevent it from wilting due to low temperatures. It has several cultivars , such as: the 'Albus', with yellow flowers; the 'Shapphire', of dark blue flowers; the 'Aureus', which has golden ones; and the 'Variegatus', whose white leaves have bands of a greenish hue. All of them are common in gardening; There are also variants that have two stipes of the inflorescence per foot and others that have larger or smaller flowers. During the summer, it requires abundant watering ; Its water dependence is such that it is cultivated mainly in the margins of lakes and streams. Originally, it was imported to Ireland and England for this reason, and not to more southerly latitudes. It propagates vegetatively by mechanical division of the rhizome; This process should be done just beginning in the spring or in the fall . Sexual reproduction through seeds is also possible . It does not have marked edaphic preferences; It grows well in any fertile, moist and well-drained soil.
Taxonomic tree
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Domain: Eukarya
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Kingdom: Plantae
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Phylum: Magnoliophyta
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Class: Liliopsida
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Order: Asparagales
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Family: Amaryllidaceae
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Genus: Agapanthus
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