Ornithoglossum pulchrum (Colchicaceae: Colchiceae), a new species from Southern Namibia

Abstract

We describe a new species in the sub-Saharan genus Ornithoglossum Salisb. from southern Namibia. Ornithoglossum pulchrum from near Aus, is remarkable in having bright to dark pink flowers, a feature previously unknown in the genus. The perigone is almost concolorous apart from a contrasting, pale yellow nectary region, narrowly outlined with darker red, near the base of each tepal. The undulate leaves together with the long filaments, which are nearly as long as the tepals, suggest a relationship with O. undulatum, a widespread species in the western parts of southern Africa, and O. zeyheri from Namaqualand and the northwestern Cape.