Urgineoideae
Creators: name: Martínez-Azorín, Mario
name: Crespo, Manuel B.
name: Alonso-Vargas, María Ángeles
name: Pinter, Michael
name: Crouch, Neil R.
name: Dold, Anthony P.
name: Mucina, Ladislav
name: Pfosser, Martin
name: Wetschnig, Wolfgang
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Plantae
Tracheophyta
Liliopsida
Asparagales
Asparagaceae

description: Identification key of genera in Urgineoideae   
1. Anthers dehiscing by apical pores or slits extending to the middle................................................................................................. 2  
− Anthers dehiscing longitudinally along their whole length.............................................................................................................. 6  
2. Tepals with green basal markings adaxially..................................................................................................................................... 3  
− Tepals lacking green basal markings adaxially................................................................................................................................. 4  
 3. Filaments of stamens distinctly connate for most of their length to form a tube that surrounds the gynoecium above the perigone; tepals white with green maculae forming a basal green ring..................................................................................... 1. Aulostemon   
 − Filaments of stamens free above the perigone; tepals purplish-pink with green and white, unconnected, basal markings....................................................................................................................................................................................................... 13. Mucinaea   
 4. Leaves 1–2(–3), up to 4 cm long, ovate, flattened and appressed to the ground, velutinous on the adaxial side, with longitudinal furrows........................................................................................................................................................................... 22. Striatula   
− Leaves usually more numerous and longer, 2–40 cm long, linear-elongated and suberect, glabrous, smooth................................ 5  
 5. Anthers 5–6 mm long, connate at least in the upper portion to form a large conical yellow structure; leaves flattened with a distinct broad keel on the abaxial side; flowers stellate with tepals 7–9 mm long............................................................ 17. Sagittanthera   
 − Anthers 1–3 mm long, free, although connivent to the style; leaves linear-filiform; flowers campanulate-urceolate, rarely stellate but then tepals up to 6 mm long.......................................................................................................................... 15. Rhadamanthus   
6. Inflorescence distinctly branched with at least secondary branches................................................................................................ 7  
− Inflorescence not branched, always simple racemes........................................................................................................................ 8  
 7. Ovary conical, semi-inferior in appearance; inflorescence succulent; flowers lasting some days; tepals remain at the base of the mature capsule................................................................................................................................................................... 4. Bowiea   
 − Ovary ovoid, clearly superior; inflorescence never succulent; flowers usually lasting one day; tepals cohering above to form a cap at the top of the mature capsule.................................................................................................................................. 18. Schizobasis   
 8. Flowers small (4–7 mm long); tepals connate for most of their length, tubular, nodding; inflorescence 1(–2)-flowered with a pair of subopposite bracts; stigma with six, minute, erect teeth.......................................................................................... 12. Litanthus   
− Flowers larger or with a different morphology; inflorescence usually with more flowers; bracts never subopposite; stigma indistinct to trilobed.......................................................................................................................................................................................... 9  
 9. Flowers with only 3 stamens corresponding to the inner whorl.................................................................................... 25. Triandra   
− Flowers with 6 stamens.................................................................................................................................................................. 10  
10. Flowers verpertine-nocturnal, nodding with strongly reflexed tepals............................................................................................ 11  
− Flowers diurnal, patent to suberect (rarely nodding), with erect to spreading tepals (sometimes reflexed).................................. 15  
 11. Filaments adnate for ¼ to ½ of tepal length................................................................................................................ 10. Iosanthus   
− Filaments free to shortly adnate to tepals (less than ¼ of tepal length)......................................................................................... 12  
 12. Leaves narrowly linear and distinctly coiled distally; filaments narrow, straight or slightly incurved, connivent to the style and crossing each other along the upper third................................................................................................................ 20. Spirophyllos   
− Leaves narrowly linear or wide and flattened but never distinctly coiled distally; filaments with a different morphology and/or disposition....................................................................................................................................................................................... 13  
 13. Filaments straight, suberect to spreading........................................................................................................................ 9. Indurgia   
− Filaments sigmoid, incurved and connivent to the style along the middle portion and spreading above...................................... 14  
 14. Filaments narrow and distinctly constricted at base to join the tepals; bracteoles absent; bulb scales compact... 29. Vera-duthiea   
 − Filaments distinctly widened along the basal portion to enclose the ovary; bracteoles present and distinct but usually early caducous; bulb scales loose....................................................................................................................................................... 24. Thuranthos   
 15. Leaves strongly keeled, with distinct purple maculations at base; dehisced anthers circinate; bulb scales loose.......... 30. Zingela   
− Leaves not strongly keeled, nor maculate at base; dehisced anthers not circinate; bulb scales compact or rarely loose.............. 16  
 16. Basal leaves surrounded by sheathing cataphylls bearing transversally raised dark ribs; style bent downwards and usually distinctly sigmoid, with papillose stigma........................................................................................................................................ 23. Tenicroa   
− Basal leaves not surrounded by sheathing cataphylls bearing transversally raised dark ribs (rarely barred but then lacking prominent ribs and showing papillate filaments); style erect or rarely declinate, not distinctly sigmoid, with minute to capitate stigma................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 17  
 17. Inflorescence curved to nodding at early development stages; raceme usually short and widely corymbose to subglobose, rarely subspiciform and compact; seeds tetrahedrally folded with narrowly winged angles.................................................. 2. Austronea   
− Inflorescence erect at all development stages; raceme more elongated, racemose-spiciform, very rarely subcorymbose; seeds flattened and usually windged, not tetrahedrally folded................................................................................................................ 18  
 18. Tepals long connate for most of their length, rarely to the middle; flowers urceolate or campanulate, lasting for more than two days (up to 7 days)........................................................................................................................................................... 16. Rhodocodon   
− Tepals free or fused to 2/5 of their length; flowers stellate to rarely campanulate, usually lasting for one or two days............... 19  
19. Tepals connate to 2/5 of their length forming a distinct tube......................................................................................................... 20  
− Tepals free or very shortly connate in an indistinct tube to 1 mm long......................................................................................... 23  
20. Bracteoles present and usually well developed.............................................................................................................................. 21  
− Bracteoles lacking.......................................................................................................................................................................... 22  
 21. Flowers stellate, patent to suberect; free portion of tepals spreading-patent; ovary mostly visible from outside; stamens exerted and spreading....................................................................................................................................................................... 26. Urginavia   
 − Flowers campanulate, mostly nodding; free portion of tepals erect; ovary included in the campanulate perianth; stamens included and connivent to the style................................................................................................................................14. Rhadamanthopsis   
 22. Free portion of tepals elongated and narrowly lanceolate-oblong to sub-spathulate and usually strongly reflexed; filaments elongated-exerted and connivent to the style (rarely spreading above the connivent portion); ovary included in the perianth tube............................................................................................................................................................................................... 5. Drimia   
 − Free portion of tepals spreading-patent and with different morphology; stamens exerted and spreading-incurved; ovary mostly visible from outside.................................................................................................................................................. 28. Urgineopsis   
 23. Ovary and style white or sometimes tinged with violet; filaments fusiform and inflated in the middle, distinctly papillate on the lower portion.................................................................................................................................................................. 7. Fusifilum   
− Ovary green to orange-yellow, never white; filaments not clearly fusiform, smooth or rarely papillate....................................... 24  
 24. Dehiscent, dry, yellow capsules disposed on green, long lasting and photosynthetic pedicels; basal bracts usually long spurred, to 5 cm long............................................................................................................................................................................ 3. Boosia   
− Pedicels and capsules drying simultaneously; basal bracts usually with shorter spurs................................................................... 25  
 25. Seeds polygonal or irregularly compressed, 1‒2.4(3) mm long; capsules 3‒6 mm long; leaf terete, mostly solitary............................................................................................................................................................................................................... 8. Geschollia   
− Seeds and/or capsules larger or with different morphology; leaves terete or flat, commonly several........................................... 26  
 26. Flower buds subglobose and nodding; flowers disposed on long, patent to suberect pedicels; leaves mostly flat, wide and short, rarely linear subcanaliculated............................................................................................................................... 15. Rhadamanthus   
− Flowers and leaves not as above.................................................................................................................................................... 27  
 27. Seeds narrowly lanceolate, about 3 times longer than wide; leaves synanthous; bulb scales commonly loose; flowers carneous or greenish, subcampanulate; tepals suberect, connivent at base and spreading apically................................................... 31. Zulusia   
 − Seeds subellipsoid, to twice longer than wide; leaves mostly hysteranthous or rarely synanthous; bulb scales compact; flowers white to yellowish, stellate with spreading tepals or rarely subcampanulate ................................................................................. 28   
28. Inflorescence (including peduncle) short, reaching up to 10 cm above ground level.................................................................... 29  
− Inflorescence (including peduncle) commonly longer than 15 cm above ground level................................................................. 31  
 29. Capsules on laterally recurved pedicels............................................................................................................................ 6. Ebertia   
− Capsules on erect pedicels.............................................................................................................................................................. 30  
 30. Capsules with the valves reflexed from the base at dehiscence to widely expose the seeds...................................... 10. Iosanthus   
 − Capsules with the valves not reflexed at dehiscence..................................................................................................... 11. Ledurgia   
 31. Bulb deep red inside; withered tepals papery, translucent; bracts shortly oblong-obovate to 3 mm long, navicular; peduncle above ground level short, usually as long as or shorter than the raceme, rarely elongated.................................................. 19. Sekanama   
− Bulb white to yellowish inside, rarely with a reddish tinge; withered tepals not papery and translucent; bracts usually narrowly triangular, long acuminate, non-navicular; peduncle usually elongated........................................................................................ 32  
32. Bracteoles present and usually well developed, but sometimes early caducous............................................................................ 33  
− Bracteoles lacking.......................................................................................................................................................................... 34  
 33. Bulb scales producing abundant whitish silky threads when broken; withered perigone remaining at the base of developing capsule......................................................................................................................................................................... 26. Urginavia   
 − Bulb scales not producing threads when broken; withered tepals basally circumcissile remaining as a cap at the top of the developing capsule.............................................................................................................................................................................. 21. Squilla   
 34. Style subclavate, usually thickened, as long as or only slightly longer than the ovary; stigma truncate and trigonous; capsule with apiculate valves; plants from India and neighboring countries....................................................................................... 9. Indurgia   
 − Style filiform, about twice the ovary length; stigma minute; capsule valves not apiculate; plants from western Mediterranean Basin............................................................................................................................................................................... 27. Urginea
description: Published as part of Martínez-Azorín, Mario, Crespo, Manuel B., Alonso-Vargas, María Ángeles, Pinter, Michael, Crouch, Neil R., Dold, Anthony P., Mucina, Ladislav, Pfosser, Martin & Wetschnig, Wolfgang, 2023, A generic monograph of the Hyacinthaceae subfamily Urgineoideae, pp. 1-143 in Phytotaxa 610 (1) on pages 18-20, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.610.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/8308556