Eucomis is a genusofflowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae, native to southern Africa.[2] Most species of this genus are commonly referred to as pineapple flowersorpineapple lilies. They are bulbousperennials with basal rosettes of leaves and stout stems covered in star-shaped flowers with a tuft of green bracts at the top, superficially resembling a pineapple – hence the common names.[3]
The genus Eucomis was first published by Charles L'Héritier in 1789.[2][4] The name Eucomis is of Greek origin, eu- meaning "pleasing" and kome "hair of the head",[5] thus referring to the tuft of leaf-like bracts that crown the inflorescence of the species in this genus. The name was first used by Daniel Solander, who decided that Linnaeus'sFritillaria regia should be placed in a separate genus. However, Solander died before publishing the name, and was not mentioned by L'Héritier in his 1789 publication.[6] Initially, three species were placed in Eucomis: E. regia, E. nana and E. punctata.[4] (The last two are now synonymsofE. regia[7] and E. comosa[8] respectively.)
Eucomis is placed in the subfamily Scilloideae of the family Asparagaceae by those who use the APG system of plant classification,[9] and in the family Hyacinthaceae by those who use more narrowly defined families.[10] Using the subfamily Scilloideae, Eucomis is placed in the tribe Hyacintheae, subtribe Massoniinae, along with such genera as Lachenalia, Ledebouria, Massonia and Veltheimia.[11]
The species can be divided into two groups. One consists of seven mainly short, diploid species with 2n = 2x = 30 chromosomes: E. amaryllidifolia, E. bicolor, E. grimshawii, E. regia, E. schijffii, E. vandermerwei and E. zambesiaca. The other consists of five mainly larger, tetraploid species with 2n = 4x = 60 chromosomes: E. autumnalis, E. comosa, E. humilis, E. montana and E. pallidiflora.[12] The ploidy of E. sonnetteana is not known.[13]
EucomisisnativetoSouth Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini, Zimbabwe and Malawi. Species can be found in grassland, forest, swamps and on river banks, but are absent from the drier regions.[14] The smaller species are more often found at higher elevations, on hilltops or other exposed places; the larger species favour less exposed habitats, such as damp gulleys and streamsides.[6]
Eucomis species are cultivated as ornamental plants. Most of the summer-flowering species will tolerate frost down to −5 to −10 °C (23 to 14 °F) when dormant in winter, provided they are kept dry. They flower best if given both sun exposure and moisture in summer.[6][14]Eucomis regia grows in winter and flowers in early spring. It needs greenhouse cultivation in regions that, like Britain, have a maritime rather than a Mediterranean climate.[6]
^RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants. United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. 2008. p. 1136. ISBN978-1-4053-3296-5.
^ abL'Héritier de Brutelle, Charles Louis (1789) [cover 1788]. "Eucomis". Sertum Anglicum, seu, Plantae rariores quae in hortis juxta Londinum : imprimis in horto regio Kewensi excoluntur, ab anno 1786 ad annum 1787 observata. Paris: Didot. p. 11. Retrieved 2018-10-07.
^Coombes, Allen J. (1994). Dictionary of Plant Names. London: Hamlyn Books. p. 70. ISBN978-0-600-58187-1.
^ abcdCompton, James (1990). "Eucomis L'Heritier". The Plantsman. 12 (3): 129–139.
