Spermatophyta: Monocotyledonae

Hypoxidaceae - African potato family

Nordal, I. & Zimudzi, C. (2001) Hypoxidaceae FZ 12(3)

Description of the family

Herbaceous geophytes, with rhizomes (Curculigo) or corms (Hypoxis). Leaves basal, arranged one above another in 3 vertical rows; lamina linear to lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate to ovate, parallel-veined, ± pubescent. Inflorescence racemose, corymbose or with flowers solitary. Flowers bisexual, actinomorphic, 3-merous, epigynous. Perianth with 6 segments, yellowish on the adaxial side, greenish or purplish-streaked outside. Stamens 6; anthers opening by longitudinal slits. Ovary inferior, 3-locular. Fruit a berry (Curculigo) or a capsule (Hypoxis).

Worldwide: 8 genera and 220 species, southern hemisphere.

More sample images from the Hypoxidaceae (Click on each image to see a larger version and details of the record)

Hypoxis angustifolia

Hypoxis galpinii

Links to genera: View: living plant images - herbarium specimen images - all images for this family

Genus	Content
Curculigo Gaertn.	Description
Hypoxis L.	Description, Image

Other sources of information about Hypoxidaceae:

Flora of Zimbabwe: cultivated Hypoxidaceae page
Flora of Mozambique: Hypoxidaceae
GRIN (Germplasm Resources Information Network) taxonomy for plants report for Hypoxidaceae
Google: Web - Images - Scholar