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Hypoxis

{{Short description|Genus of flowering plants}}

{{Automatic taxobox

|fossil_range = Pliocene - recent

|image = Hypoxis angustifolia MS 3546.jpg

|image_caption = Hypoxis angustifolia

|taxon = Hypoxis

|authority = L.

|synonyms =

  • Niobea Willd. ex Schult. & Schult.f. (1830)
  • Rhodohypoxis {{small|Nel (1914)}}
  • × Rhodoxis {{small|B.Mathew (1998)}}
  • Schinnongia Schrank. (1822)
  • Upoda Adans. (1763)

|synonyms_ref=[https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:1499-1 Hypoxis L.] Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 8 October 2023.

}}

Hypoxis is a genus of flowering plants of the family Hypoxidaceae. The genus has an "almost cosmopolitan" distribution, occurring in Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Australia.Singh, Y. (Natal Herbarium, Durban). [http://www.plantzafrica.com/planthij/hypoxis.htm Hypoxis.] PlantZAfrica.com: South African National Biodiversity Institute. 2004. Europe lacks native species.[http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=116263 Hypoxis.] Flora of China. Most species are in the Southern Hemisphere, especially in southern Africa.[http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=116263 Hypoxis.] Flora of North America. Common names for the genus include star-grass, star lily, yellow stars, African potato, and stars.[https://florabase.dpaw.wa.gov.au/browse/profile/21241 Hypoxis.] FloraBase. Western Australian Herbarium. The genus is the largest of the Hypoxidaceae{{Cite journal|title = Hypoxis (Hypoxidaceae) in southern Africa: Taxonomic notes|journal = South African Journal of Botany|date = 2007-07-01|pages = 360–365|volume = 73|issue = 3|doi = 10.1016/j.sajb.2007.02.001|first = Y.|last = Singh|doi-access = free}}{{Cite journal|title = Molecular phylogenetics of Hypoxidaceae – Evidence from plastid DNA data and inferences on morphology and biogeography|journal = Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution|date = 2011-07-01|pages = 122–136|volume = 60|issue = 1|doi = 10.1016/j.ympev.2011.02.021|first1 = Alexander|last1 = Kocyan|first2 = Deirdre A.|last2 = Snijman|first3 = Félix|last3 = Forest|first4 = Dion S.|last4 = Devey|first5 = John V.|last5 = Freudenstein|first6 = Justyna|last6 = Wiland-Szymańska|first7 = Mark W.|last7 = Chase|first8 = Paula J.|last8 = Rudall|pmid=21459153| bibcode=2011MolPE..60..122K }} and has its centre of variation in South Africa,{{Cite journal|title = Taxonomic studies of the genus Hypoxis in East Africa|journal = Nordic Journal of Botany|date = 1985-02-01|issn = 1756-1051|pages = 15–30|volume = 5|issue = 1|doi = 10.1111/j.1756-1051.1985.tb02067.x|language = en|first1 = Inger|last1 = Nordal|first2 = Morten M.|last2 = Laane|first3 = Ellen|last3 = Holt|first4 = Inger|last4 = Staubo}}{{Cite journal|title = The genus Hypoxis L. (Hypoxidaceae) in the East Tropical|journal = Biodiversity: Research and Conservation|pages = 1–129|volume = 14|issue = –1|doi = 10.2478/v10119-009-0011-5|first = Justyna|last = Wiland-Szymańska|year = 2009|doi-access = free}} where it occurs in open undisturbed grasslands. The name Hypoxis was taken over by Linnaeus in 1759 from a name coined by Paul Reneaulme in 1611 for a superficially similar species of Gagea and meaning "a little sour", referring to the taste of that plant's leaves.{{Cite web |url=http://bibdigital.rjb.csic.es/ing/Libro.php?Libro=5524&Pagina=98 |title=Paul Reneaulme. Specimen Historiae Plantarum. 1611. page 92 |access-date=2016-03-03 |archive-date=2016-03-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307080312/http://bibdigital.rjb.csic.es/ing/Libro.php?Libro=5524&Pagina=98 |url-status=dead }}{{Cite journal|title = The African Potato (Hypoxis hemerocallidea): a chemical historical perspective|last = Drewes and Khan|date = 2004|journal = South African Journal of Science}}

Description

These plants are perennial herbs with corms or rhizomes. Some have tubers. The aboveground herbage is a layered cluster of lance-shaped, linear, or hairlike leaves, sometimes sheathed together at the bases. The blades are usually at least slightly hairy. The flowers are borne on a short, stemlike scape in a raceme or umbel arrangement, or sometimes singly. The flower has six yellow tepals which may be hairy, especially on the undersides. The undersides may also be whitish or tinged green or red. Occasional flowers have 4 or 8 tepals. The fruit is a capsule with a few to many small, oily seeds.

The seeds are needed to identify many species. Most have seeds less than 2 millimeters long, so microscopic examination is required.{{cite journal | last1 = Zona | first1 = S. | display-authors = etal | year = 2009 | title = A seed atlas of Hypoxis from eastern North America | url = http://www.learnedgardener.com/yahoo_site_admin/assets/docs/Zona_et_al_2009_Hypoxis_seed_atlas.9070620.pdf | journal = J. Torrey Bot. Soc. | volume = 136 | issue = 1 | pages = 26–32 | doi = 10.3159/08-ra-086r.1 | s2cid = 86643608 | access-date = 2013-08-19 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131219021739/http://www.learnedgardener.com/yahoo_site_admin/assets/docs/Zona_et_al_2009_Hypoxis_seed_atlas.9070620.pdf | archive-date = 2013-12-19 | url-status = dead }}

Uses

Hypoxis plants have long played a role in traditional African medicine; H. hemerocallidea and H. colchicifolia are the best known species used to make medicine and teas. The genus is not only used in traditional medicine, it has become important also in pharmaceutical preparations.{{Cite journal|title = Determination of the norlignan glucosides of Hypoxidaceae by high-performance liquid chromatography|journal = Journal of Chromatography A|date = 1992-03-06|pages = 131–135|volume = 594|issue = 1|doi = 10.1016/0021-9673(92)80321-K|first1 = P.|last1 = Betto|first2 = R.|last2 = Gabriele|first3 = C.|last3 = Galeffi}}

Archaeological evidence found in ashes in Border Cave, South Africa has revealed that early humans roasted the rhizomes of some of the more palatable species of Hypoxis as long as 170,000 years ago.{{Cite journal|title = Cooked starchy rhizomes in Africa 170 thousand years ago|journal = Science|date = 2020-01-03|pages = 87–91|volume = 367|issue = 6473|doi = 10.1126/science.aaz5926|pmid = 31896717|first1 = L.|last1 = Wadley|first2 = L.|last2 = Backwell|first3 = F.|last3 = d'Errico|doi-access = free| bibcode=2020Sci...367...87W }}

Species

Sources have estimated 90 or 100 to 150[http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=gn&name=Hypoxis Genus Hypoxis.] New South Wales Flora Online. National Herbarium. Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney. species in the genus. {{As of|2023|October}}, Plants of the World Online recognized 90 species:

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Gallery

File:Fringed Yellow Stargrass (Hypoxis juncea) (6148269752).jpg|Hypoxis juncea

File:Hypoxis hemerocallidea02.jpg|Hypoxis hemerocallidea

File:Hairy Yellow Star Grass (4752131261).jpg|Hypoxis hirsuta

References

{{Commons category}}

{{Reflist}}

External links

  • [http://redlist.sanbi.org/genus.php?genus=1603 Hypoxis.] Red List of South African Plants. SANBI.
  • [http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/splist.pl?5986 GRIN Species Records of Hypoxis.] Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).
  • [https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=500345 Hypoxis.] ITIS.

{{Taxonbar|from=Q4308690}}

Category:Asparagales genera