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Useful Tropical Plants

Bulbine abyssinica

A.Rich.

Asphodelaceae


Bulbine asphodeloides (L.) Willd., a native of Mozambique, South Africa and Swaziland, has often been confused with this species and, as their ranges overlap, it is not always clear to which of the 2 species a medicinal use should be attributed[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].

+ Synonyms

Bulbine asphodeloides filifolioides De Wild.

Bulbine asphodeloides monticola Poelln.

Bulbine asphodeloides xanthobotrys Engl. & Gilg) Weim.

Bulbine decurvata Peter ex Poelln.

Bulbine hamata Peter ex Poelln.

Bulbine huilensis Poelln.

Bulbine latitepala Poelln.

Bulbine xanthobotrys Engl. & Gilg

Common Name:

Bulbine abyssinica
Large clump of the flowering plant, growing in its native habitat
Photograph by: Robert v. Blittersdorff; African plants - A Photo Guide
© Robert v. Blittersdorff

General Information

Bulbine abyssinica is a tufted, perennial herb producing a rosette of grass-like leaves from a short rhizome[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
]. The leaves are around 35cm long, with a flowering stem up to 80cm long[
295
Title
PlantZAfrica.com
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.plantzafrica.com
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent site giving detailed descriptions and uses of many S. African plants.
]. The plant gradually spreads to form small clumps[
295
Title
PlantZAfrica.com
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.plantzafrica.com
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent site giving detailed descriptions and uses of many S. African plants.
].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local medicinal use. It is occasionally traded locally[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

308
Title
Flora Zambesiaca
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://apps.kew.org/efloras/fz/intro.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent online flora of plants from the Zambezi River basin. It lists a number of the plant uses as well as the habitats and botanical descriptions of the plants.
,
500
Title
Flora of Somalia
Publication
 
Author
Thulin M. (Editor)
Publisher
Kew Publishing, London.
Year
1993
ISBN
 
Description
Detailed information on the plants of the region, often adding notes on the plants uses.

Range

Africa - Equatorial Guinea, Congo, DR Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, south to S. Africa; Arabian Peninsula - Yemen.

Habitat

Small colonies in montane grassland, miombo and mixed deciduous woodlands; wooded grassland on sand; dambo margins; swampy grassland; shallow soils over rock; seepage areas; on rocky hillsides at elevations from 600 - 2,750 metres[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
,
308
Title
Flora Zambesiaca
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://apps.kew.org/efloras/fz/intro.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent online flora of plants from the Zambezi River basin. It lists a number of the plant uses as well as the habitats and botanical descriptions of the plants.
].

Properties

Medicinal Rating *  *  *
HabitPerennial
Height0.70 m
PollinatorsBees
Self-fertileNo
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details

The plant is found from the subtropics to the tropics, growing mainly in drier areas. It can tolerate a wide range of temperatures, including some frost[
295
Title
PlantZAfrica.com
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.plantzafrica.com
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent site giving detailed descriptions and uses of many S. African plants.
].
Requires a sunny position in a well-drained soil. Prefers a good, humus-rich soil[
295
Title
PlantZAfrica.com
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.plantzafrica.com
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent site giving detailed descriptions and uses of many S. African plants.
]. Established plants are drought tolerant[
295
Title
PlantZAfrica.com
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.plantzafrica.com
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent site giving detailed descriptions and uses of many S. African plants.
].
A fast-growing plant, it can commence flowering within 1 year from seed[
295
Title
PlantZAfrica.com
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.plantzafrica.com
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent site giving detailed descriptions and uses of many S. African plants.
].
The plant normally has seasonal flowering, but can flower almost all year round in suitable conditions[
295
Title
PlantZAfrica.com
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.plantzafrica.com
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent site giving detailed descriptions and uses of many S. African plants.
].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The fresh leaf sap is applied to the skin to cure ringworm and rash[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
]. The sap is applied to wounds as a disinfectant and to promote healing[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].
Crushed leaves are used as a dressing for burns and the leaf sap is applied to cracked lips[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].

Anthraquinones have been isolated from the roots, leaves and fruits[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].
The phenylanthraquinone bulbine-knipholone has been isolated from the roots. This compound showed in-vitro antiplasmodial activity, and no cytotoxic effects on mammalian cells[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed -germinates rapidly, usually within one to two weeks. Seedlings grow fast and can be transplanted when they are at an easily manageable size[
295
Title
PlantZAfrica.com
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.plantzafrica.com
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent site giving detailed descriptions and uses of many S. African plants.
].
Division of clumps, preferably as the plant comes in to new growth[
295
Title
PlantZAfrica.com
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.plantzafrica.com
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent site giving detailed descriptions and uses of many S. African plants.
].
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-03-29. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Bulbine+abyssinica>

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