The genus Daubenya is indigenous to the winter rainfall regions of the Western Cape, South Africa. Its species are all very local, uncommon to exceedingly rare, and found in a narrow swath of land across the Western Cape.
The genus Daubenya was revised in 2002 by John Manning and Alison van der Merwe. Several formerly monotypic genera of closely related bulbs were merged into Daubenya at that time.
The genus Daubenya now comprises the following species:
comata (Burch. ex Baker) J.C. Manning & A.M. van der Merwe
Formerly Massonia comata Burch. ex Baker, Polyxena comata (Burch. ex Baker), Neobakeria comata (Burch. ex Baker)
namaquensis (Schltr.) J.C. Manning & A.M. van der Merwe
Formerly Neobakeria namaquensis Schltr., Massonia angustifolia sensu Jessop
marginata (Willd. ex Knuth) J.C. Manning & A.M. van der Merwe
Formerly Massonia marginata Willd. ex Knuth, Marginata rugulosa Licht. ex Knuth, Polyxena haemanthoides Baker
capensis (Schltr.) A.M. van der Merwe & J.C. Manning
Formerly Androsiphon capense
stylosa (W.F.Barker) A.M. van der Merwe & J.C. Manning
Formerly Amphisiphon stylosum
aurea Lindl.
More Information
J.C. Manning and A.M. van der Merwe, "Systematics of the genus Daubenya (Hyacinthaceae: Massonieae)", in BOTHALIA, vol. 32, No. 2, pp. 133-150 (October 2002).
J.C. Manning, "South Africa's Jewels of the Desert: A Reappraisal of the Genus Daubenya (Hyacintaceae)" in HERBERTIA, vol. 56, pp. 61-66 (2001).
Alison van der Merwe, "An Extract from the discussion of a PhD dissertation on 'A Biosystemiatic Study of the Seven Minor Genera of the Hyacinthaceae'" in I.B.S.A. BULLETIN, No. 51, pp. 10-15 (October 2002).
RHS Manual of Bulbs, John Bryan and Mark Griffiths, Eds., Timber Press (1995).
Bulbous Plants of Southern Africa, by Neil du Plessis and Graham Duncan, Tafelberg Pub. Ltd., Cape Town (1989).
For information about this account, contact:
James E. Shields, jim@shieldsgardens.com
Last revised: 8 January 2010
& Copyright 2010 by James E. Shields. All rights reserved.
