User:JonRichfield/Lapeirousia

Lapeirousia is a genus of generally rather small cormous, perennial, Iridaceous plants. They are widely known in horticulture, but not popular except among specialists, because most of them, though attractive and of wide biological interest, are not spectacular. Common names include Painted Petals and Cabong; the former refers to the nectar guides to be found on most species, while the latter derives from a name used by indigenous Khoisan South Africans who gathered the corms for food.

Origin of the genus name
Material in this section and the following one, is derived variously from Dyer,, Manning, the Royal Horticultural Society, and Marloth.

The genus is often said to be named after named after the French explorer Jean-François de Galaup, comte de Lapérouse; However this appears to be an error, based on the prominence of Lapérouse as a major French hero, irrespective of the fact that he had no particular connection with botany. Instead the genus seems to have been named in honor of Philippe-Isidore Picot, presumably the same as the person referred to as "Compte Philippe Picot de Lapeyrouse" elsewhere. This would seem to be more logical, because de Lapeyrouse was known as a patron of French science, and he was a contemporary of the abbe Pierre Andre Pourret, the prominent French botanist who described the genus. However, there appears to have been some confusion about the naming, no doubt partly because the original spelling of the name of the mariner had been "La Peyrouse" from the name of the estate that he had inherited. Afterwards he had changed the name. The spelling Lapeirousia, whether in error, or deliberately as a Latinisation, was the first to be published, whereas many authors, for example Marloth, also either deliberately or in error, spelt the name Lapeyrousia, which reflected the correct eponymy of the naturalist, rather than the mariner.

However, whichever might be more logically defensible, the international naming rules now unambiguously establish the spelling Lapeirousia as having priority.

All the same, anyone conducting exhaustive literature searches should include both spellings to ensure that as far as may be, all available references are taken into account.

Description of the genus Lapeirousia
Lapeirousia species are deciduous and the plants generally are small, with small corms. Some of the tropical species are larger than those in the Mediterranean climatic regions of Southern African fynbos. In shape the corms are campanulate to triangular in outline, with flat bases, their roots growing from the edges. Their tunics are formed of hard, woody layers of compressed fibres, of which the innermost layer is entire. The leaves are basal, often only one leaf growing in a season. In some species the leaves are flat and falcate, in others they are linear and ribbed. The scape is largely subterranean in some species, with hardly more than the flowers showing above the ground, whereas in other species, the scape is aerial, as in most Iridaceae, for example many Moraeas. Also, in some species the scape is simple whereas in others it is branched.

The inflorescence is a spike, sometimes contracted and fasciculate, or a corymbose panicle, typically with the flowers arranged spirally. The bracts are herbaceous; they may either be small and subequal, or with the outer bract very large, sometimes keeled, crisped and with ribs. The perianth may be either actinomorphic or zygomorphic. The floral tube may be short or long; it may be slender and cylindrical, or it may be funnel-shaped. The tepals may be subequal and spreading, or they may be unequal with the upper tepals largest and erect, with the lower 3 forming a lip. The stamens are symmetrically disposed, and erect or spreading. The style is slender and branched into three; the branches usually are long, and each branch is forked for about half its length, giving six points. In most species there are conspicuous floral guides that cue suitably adapted pollinators to seek their rewards of pollen or nectar in the appropriate places.

The fruit is a membranous capsule. It contains many small seeds that may be round, but often are angular as a result of crowding.

Systematics and distribution
The genus Lapeirousia comprises somewhat over 40 species in two subgenera.