Sandersonia aurantiaca Hook. (Christmas Bells): Micropropagation and in Vitro Production of Colchicine
Sandersonia aurantiaca Hook., also known as Christmas bells or the Chinese lantern lily, is a monotypic species (related to Gloriosa) which is endemic to southern Africa. The delicate, long-lasting flowers have a vase life of 2 to 3 weeks. The plant is cu
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1 General Account 1.1 The Plant Sandersonia aurantiaca Hook., also known as Christmas bells or the Chinese lantern lily, is a monotypic species (related to Gloriosa) which is endemic to southern Africa. The delicate, long-Iasting flowers have a vase life of 2 to 3 weeks. The plant is currently enjoying an uprecedented demand worldwide and has potential as a high income earnerfor fresh cut flower growers (Warren 1993). Dahlgren et al. (1985) elassify Sandersonia in the family Colchicaceae Tribus Iphegenieae (Fig. 1). Sandersonia was described by W.!. Hooker in Curtis' Botanical Magazine in 1853, the plants that were described having been collected by John Sanderson, and thus Hooker named Sandersonia in his honour (Batten 1986). The name aurantiaca is from the Latin meaning yellow and scarlet. The plant grows naturally in an area ranging from the Eastern Cape through Transkei, Natal, Swaziland, into the Transvaal. Flowering time is December to January (Christmas), the lantern-like flowers are borne on the upper part of the stern and open in succession from the lowest flower, the perianth is persistent and protects the ovary. Sandersonia is an erect or scandent geophyte, with a sm all corm having short spreading lobes and a thin tunic. The stern is simple and supple, with leaves elose together, alternate elasping below, the leaf is linear to narrowly ovate-acuminate with a cirrhiferous or aristate tip. Inflorescence cymose, flowers on the upper part of the stern and are placed behind a leaf on lang arcuate pedicels. The tepals are fused to form a campanulate perigone. There are six short stamens ineluded, with bilocular anthers introrse and basifixed. The ovary is tri-Iocular ovoid, obtusely trigonous with many axile ovules, there are three styles and the stigma is apicaI. Capsules are globose, verrucose with a large broad funiele (Dyer 1976; Dahlgren et aI. 1985; Batten 1986). Christmas beIls is a popular plant which is now threatened with extinction because of indiscriminate picking and destruction of its habitat for sugarcane fields. The longevity and charm of the flower makes Sandersonia a favourite cut flower. Flower sellers with large bunches for sale were common before Christmas, and, as a result, the habitats were slowly eradicated and the plant is now seldom 1 NU Research Unit for Plant Growth and Development, University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 3209, Republic of South Africa
Biotechnology in Agriculture and Forestry, Val. 37 Medicinal and Aromatic Plants IX (ed. by Y.P.S. Bajaj) © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 1996
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J.F. Finnie and J. van Staden Fig. 1. Sandersonia aurantiaca Hook
seen except in protected reserves (Batten 1986). Sandersonia is classified as being in danger of extinction in the wild. It has been identified as a potential cut flower due to its charm and good keeping qualities (Tjia 1987) and is currently sold in Japan as bulbs and cut flowers (Duncan 1992). 1.2 Medicinal Importance
Palmer (1985) reports that Sandersonia is used by the indigenous populations to proeure the birth
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