Growth and flowering of Ornithogalum saundersiae bak

The growth and flowering of Ornithogalum saundersiae Bak. was studied under field conditions in Kenya, This plant was found to be a perennial syanthou s geophyte without a natural dormant period in Kenyan tropical conditions a nd to form a lateral inflorescence, and thus to grow as a monopodial plant, Number and/or size of bulblets/buds, leaves, inflorescences and total numb er of nodes in a bulb were found to be determined by the following factors: the size and age (mother or daughter bulbs) of bulb and stage of growth at which bulbs were lifted for subsequent planting. Comparisons of the relati ve position of each bulb constituent on various sizes of bulbs made it poss ible to determine the relative age, type and quality of a bulb, After growt h and flowering was repeated for some cycles, this plant seemed to form a t erminal inflorescence between two vegetative shoots which were found at the bulb apex. This was considered to be the final growth stage of the bulb. ( C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.