2. Curculigo Gaertn., Fruct. Sem. Pl. 1: 63 (1788).
Taxon Description
Stout herbs, usually 10–35 cm. Rhizomes tuberous, erect, branched or unbranched, crowned with persistent leaf bases, roots fibrous. Leaves numerous, petiolate, blade lanceolate, plicate, papery, distinctly veined, apex acute, base sheathing. Scapes erect, variable, up to 35 cm. Inflorescence axillary, racemose, 4–6 flowered, erect, never exceeding the leaves. Flowers bracteate, bracts lanceolate, pubescent, bisexual or unisexual. Tepals 6, yellow, usually oblong, spreading, pilose. Stamens 6, free, inserted at base of tepals, anthers sagittate, basifixed, filaments short, filiform, sometimes subequal to sepals. Stigma 3-lobed, style cylindric, ovary usually pubescent, oblong to sub-globose, ovules 2 to many. Fruit a berry, indehiscent, with or without apical beak. Seeds many, small, striped.
Taxon Statistics
Worldwide 25 species, mainly in S America, Africa, Asia and Australasia. Four species in Nepal.
1. Curculigo orchioides Gaertn., Fruct. Sem. Pl. 1: 63 (1788).
Hypoxis orchioides (Gaertn.) Kurz; Curculigo malabarica Wight; Curculigo orchioides var. minor Benth.; Curculigo petiolata Royle
Rhizome tuberous, stout, without stolons. Leaves 2–7, lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, 9–60 X 1.0–2.8 cm, slightly hairy, apex narrowly acuminate, margin entire, base tapering, shortly petiolate, sheathing at base, sheath often membranous. Scapes 2–16.5 cm long, slender, 1–2 flowered, pale brown pilose. Inflorescence 1-2 flowered, erect; bracts 2, setaceous, small. Flowers trimerous, yellow; pedicel reduced, ca. 0.2 cm long. Tepals free, yellow, oblong-elliptic to slightly lanceolate, 0.8–1.1 X 0.2–0.3 cm, pubescent, tepals with abaxially laxly pilose, more concentrated towards tips. Stamens 6, half of the length of tepals, anthers linear, sometimes sagittate, 0.2—0.4 cm, basifixed, yellow, filament 0.12–0.24 cm, subequal to or slightly longer than anthers, filiform, yellowish. Stigma 3-lobed, longer than style, style cylindric, ovary narrowly oblong, oblong-lanceolate to sub-globose, usually pubescent, ovules many, usually 6-8. Berry oblong to sub-fusiform, 1–1.5 X 0.5 cm, sometimes enclosed with papery white sheath, with apical beak, beak ca. 2 mm. Seeds many, globose, small, beaked, striped.
Distribution: Nepal, W Himalaya, E Himalaya, Assam-Burma, S Asia, E Asia and SE Asia.
Altitudinal range: 100–1700 m.
Ecology: Herbs in moist and shady place.
Flowering: June–July. Fruiting: August–September.
Rhizome used medicinally.
*Note: Characters of fruit and seeds taken from protologue and published literatures (Flora of China, Flora of Pakistan, flora of India).
2. Curculigo crassifolia (Baker) Hook.f., Fl. Brit. India 6: 279 (1892).
Molineria crassifolia Baker, J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 17: 121 (1878).
Rhizome tuberous, stout, without stolons. Leaves oblong to linear-lanceolate, 90–142 X 4.5–9.5 cm, pubescent, abaxially white or brownish tomentose, apex acuminate to narrowly acuminate, margin entire, base sheathing, petiolate, petiole 12–42 cm, winged. Scapes erect, 12—35 cm, whitish tomentose. Inflorescence raceme, many flowered, moderate to wooly tomentose, apex slightly bent; bracts 2, lanceolate, 2–3 X ca. 0.8 cm, margin and apex hairy. Flowers trimerous, yellow; pedicel short. Tepals free, yellow, oblong to lanceolate, 10—1.2 X 0.4—0.6 cm, abaxially hairy on midvein, apex obtuse. Stamens 6, anthers linear- lanceolate, ca. 0.5 cm, yellow filament short, cylindric. Stigma capitate, style ca. 0.8 cm, cylindric, ovary oblong, ca. 1 cm, tomentose. Berry oblong-ovoid, ca. 1 cm, without apical beak. Seeds many, small, longitudinally striped.
Distribution: Nepal, E Himalaya, Assam-Burma and E Asia.
Altitudinal range: 2000–3000 m.
Ecology: Herbs in exposed land in forests.
Flowering: May–July. Fruiting: October–November.
*Note: Characters of fruits and seeds taken from protologue, Flora of China and Flora of India.
3. Curculigo capitulata (Lour.) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 703 (1891).
Leucojum capitulatum Lour., Fl. Cochinch.: 199 (1790); Molineria capitulata (Lour.) Herb., Amaryllidaceae 84: 428 (1837).
Rhizome tuberous, with slender, creeping stolons. Leaves 4–9, oblong-lanceolate, 50–79 X 8–10 cm, plicate, papery, apex acuminate, margin entire, base sheathing, petiolate, petiole 17–60 cm, plicate. Scapes erect, 7–25 cm, brown tomentose. Inflorescence capitate to sub-ovoid racemes, many flowered; bracts 2, ovate to lanceolate, 1.5–2.5 X ca. 0.4 cm, hairy. Flowers trimerous, yellow; pedicel ca. 0.6-0.8 cm long. Tepals free, yellow, ovate-oblong, ca. 0.8–1 cm X 0.4–0.5 cm, apex obtuse, slightly recurved towards outer side, hairy, abaxially dense hairs. Stamens 6, yellowish, ca. 0.6 cm, anther slightly connate, up to 0.5 cm, filament very short, up to 0.1 cm, bent in the middle, free. Stigma sub-capitate, yellow, style ca. 0.9 cm, cylindric, exceeding the stamens, ovary sub-globose to oblong, tomentose. Berry sub-globose to slightly oblong, ca. 0.5 cm, without apical beak. Seeds many, small, black, longitudinally striped.
Distribution: Nepal, E. Himalaya, Tibetan Plateau, Assam-Burma, S. Asia, E. Asia, SE Asia; Australasia.
Altitudinal range: 150–2100 m.
Ecology: In grassy marginal land.
Flowering: May–July. Fruiting: August–September.
*Note: Characters of fruits and seeds taken from protologue and Flora of China.
4. Curculigo gracilis (Kurz) Wall. ex Hook.f., Fl. Brit. India 6: 278 (1892).
Molineria gracilis Kurz, Ann. Mus. Bot. Lugduno-Batavi 4: 177 (1869).
Rhizome tuberous, erect, with slender, creeping stolons. Leaves 5–9, lanceolate to sub-oblong, 20–78 X 3–6 cm, coriaceous, adaxially glabrous, abaxially pubescent along the veins, apex acuminate, margin entire, base sheathing, petiolate, petiole 7–15 cm, villous. Scapes decumbent to suberect, up to 20 cm, brown villous. Inflorescence raceme, up to 15 cm, ca. 20 flowered; bracts 2, linear-lanceolate, margin and apex villous. Flowers trimerous, yellow; pedicel 0.3–1.65 cm long. Tepals free, yellow, oblong, ca. 1 X ca. 0.5 cm, outer segments abaxially hairy on midvein. Stamens 6, shorter than tepals, anthers sublinear, basifixed, 0.5-0.6 cm, filaments short, cylindric. Stigma capitate, yellow, style 0.5–1 cm, exceeding the stamens, ovary sub-globose to oblong, brownish tomentose. Berry clavate to sub-globose, ca. 1 cm, pubescent, with short apical beak. Seeds many, small, black, striped.
Distribution: Nepal, E Himalaya, E Asia and SE Asia.
Altitudinal range: 1320–1600 m.
Ecology: Along path and open grasslands in shady and moist areas.
Flowering: April–June. Fruiting: August–September.
Only known from three collections in Nepal.
*Note: Characters of fruits and seeds taken from protologue, Flora of China.