Spermatophyta: Monocotyledonae: Asparagales

Tecophilaeaceae

Cowley, E.J. & Brummitt, R.K. (2001) Tecophilaeaceae Flora Zambesiaca 12(3)

Geerinck, D.J.L. & Malaisse,F.P. (2017) Tecophilaeaceae Flore d'Afrique Centrale Nouvelle Serie Jardin Botanique Meise, Belgique

Description of the family

Tuberous herbs, glabrous. Leaves spirally arranged on erect stems (cauline, in Walleria), or arising directly from the topmost of a vertical stack of tubers or corms (basal, in Cyanastrum). Flowers bisexual, hypogynous; perianth segments 6, pale blue or occasionally white, stamens 6. Capsule 3-lobed.

Worldwide: 8 genera and 26 species, Turkey to Central Asia, Africa, South America, north to California.

Zimbabwe: 1 genus and 1 taxon.

Walleria nutans

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

GenusContent
Walleria J. KirkDescription, Image

Other sources of information about Tecophilaeaceae:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: Tecophilaeaceae
Flora of the DRC: Tecophilaeaceae
Flora of Malawi: Tecophilaeaceae
Flora of Mozambique: Tecophilaeaceae
Flora of Zambia: Tecophilaeaceae

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Tecophilaeaceae
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Tecophilaeaceae
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Tecophilaeaceae
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Tecophilaeaceae
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Tecophilaeaceae
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Tecophilaeaceae
JSTOR Plant Science: Tecophilaeaceae
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Tecophilaeaceae
Wikipedia: Tecophilaeaceae
Plants of the World Online: Tecophilaeaceae
Tropicos: Tecophilaeaceae

Copyright: Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave, 2002-26

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2026). Flora of Zimbabwe: Family page: Tecophilaeaceae.
https://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/speciesdata/family.php?family_id=216, retrieved 4 June 2026

Site software last modified: 11 June 2025 8:30am (GMT +2)
Terms of use