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Accession Data:

Bowiea volubilis Harv. ex Hook. f.

  • Common Name: Climbing Onion
  • Family: Asparagaceae Juss.

  • Country of Origin: Uganda to S. Africa
  • Habitat: Semi-arid areas of eastern South Africa

  • Description: This South African species has a partially exposed bright green fleshy bulb up to 8 in (20 cm) in diameter. The true leaves that emerge from the bulb are small, very short lived and easily overlooked, but they are replaced by the scrambling or twining, much-branched green flowering stems up to 15 ft (4 m) long which are scattered with starry, green flowers to 5/8 inch diameter, calyx and corolla of a flower (generally used when the two are similar).">perianth segments becoming reflexed.
  • Culture: They are usually claimed by the succulent enthusiasts, who like to grow them with the bulb displayed above the soil, though that is not necessarily the way they grow in the wild. Cultivation is not too difficult in a container such as a large pot or a hanging basket, provided that the soil is gritty and perfectly drained and the plant is placed in strong light. Stakes or wires can be provided for the climbing branches, or they can be allowed to hang down. The plant should be watered very sparingly except during the growing season, when new stems emerge from the bulb. Propagation is normally from seed.
  • USDA Zone: 9

Accession Data:

  • Accession # 198501019
  • Source: Unknown
  • Accession Date: 12-31-1985
  • Bench: 2205 - XER:Namib / Karoo B
    • Currently: active - healthy
    • Qty: 3 confirmed on 03-24-2025

Classification:

  • Division: Magnoliophyta
  • Class: Liliopsida
  • SubClass: monocots
  • Order: Asparagales
  • SubOrder:
  • Family: Asparagaceae
  • SubFamily: Scilloideae
  • Tribe: Urgineeae
  • SubTribe:

Flowering Data:

This accession has been observed in bloom on:
YearJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
2025
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008

References (internal):

  • EEB 3271 - Systematic Botany
  • EEB Greenhouse Holdings native to: Kenya / Tanzania / Uganda / Angola / Malawi / Mozambique / Zimbabwe / Cape Provinces / Namibia / KwaZulu-Natal / Free State / Northern Provinces

References (external):

  1. Botanica, Turner & Wasson, 1997, CD-ROM Version
  2. The Plant List (2013). Version 1.1. Last accessed on Monday, April 02, 2018.
  3. WCSP (2017). World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Last accessed on Monday, April 02, 2018.
  4. Angiosperm Phylogeny Website at MoBot. Last accessed on Tuesday, 03 December, 2019.

data regenerated on Thu, 24 Apr 2025 15:27:10 -0400 [bcm v4.0]

Images:

No default accession image assigned

Additional images for this accession:

Click on thumbnails to enlarge

Current Accessions in the Asparagaceae

Subfamily Agavoideae

  • Echeandia texensis

Subfamily Agavoideae
Tribe Agaveae

  • Agave americana
  • Agave americana 'Marginata'
  • Agave attenuata
  • Agave cf parryi
  • Agave cf stricta
  • Agave cf. titanota
  • Agave guiengola W/C
  • Agave murpheyi
  • Agave nizandensis
  • Agave parrasana
  • Agave parryi
  • Agave polianthiflora
  • Agave schidigera
  • Agave sisalana
  • Agave tequilana
  • Agave victoriae-reginae
  • Agave victoriae-reginae
  • Beschorneria septentrionalis
  • Furcraea foetida
  • Hosta sieboldiana
  • Hosta tsushimensis W/C
  • Manfreda maculosa
  • Polianthes tuberosa
  • Yucca glauca

Subfamily Agavoideae
Tribe Anemarrheneae

  • Anemarrhena asphodeloides

Subfamily Agavoideae
Tribe Anthericeae

  • Chlorophytum comosum
  • Chlorophytum comosum cv.
  • Chlorophytum saundersiae

Subfamily Asparagoideae

  • Asparagus africanus
  • Asparagus densiflorus 'Sprengeri'
  • Asparagus densiflorus 'Meyerii'

Subfamily Lomandroideae
Tribe Arthropodium group

  • Arthropodium candidum
  • Eustrephus latifolius

Subfamily Lomandroideae
Tribe Cordylineae

  • Cordyline fruticosa

Subfamily Lomandroideae
Tribe Lomandreae

  • Lomandra longifolia

Subfamily Nolinoideae
Tribe Convallarieae

  • Aspidistra elatior
  • Aspidistra grandiflora W/C
  • Aspidistra tonkinensis W/C
  • Reineckea carnea
  • Tupistra kressii W/C
  • Tupistra urceolata W/C

Subfamily Nolinoideae
Tribe Dracaeneae

  • Dracaena aethiopica
  • Dracaena angolensis
  • Dracaena angolensis
  • Dracaena aubryana
  • Dracaena draco
  • Dracaena masoniana
  • Dracaena parva
  • Dracaena pethera var. pulchra
  • Dracaena reflexa
  • Dracaena reflexa var. angustifolia
  • Dracaena singularis
  • Dracaena spathulata W/C
  • Dracaena spathulata W/C
  • Dracaena trifasciata
  • Dracaena trifasciata

Subfamily Nolinoideae
Tribe Eriospermeae

  • Eriospermum cf. dregei
  • Eriospermum cooperi W/C
  • Eriospermum corymbosum W/C
  • Eriospermum paradoxum

Subfamily Nolinoideae
Tribe Nolineae

  • Beaucarnea recurvata
  • Calibanus hookeri
  • Dasylirion longissimum

Subfamily Nolinoideae
Tribe Ophiopogoneae

  • Liriope muscari 'Variegata'
  • Ophiopogon jaburan Argenteo-marginatus
  • Ophiopogon japonicus
  • Peliosanthes macrostegia W/C

Subfamily Nolinoideae
Tribe Rusceae

  • Ruscus aculeatus
  • Ruscus hypoglossum
  • Semele androgyna

Subfamily Scilloideae
Tribe Hyacintheae

  • Camassia quamash
  • Hyacinthinae: Leopoldia longipes
  • Hyacinthinae: Scilla peruviana
  • Massoniinae: Drimiopsis botryoides
  • Massoniinae: Drimiopsis maculata
  • Massoniinae: Eucomis bicolor
  • Massoniinae: Eucomis vandermerwei W/C
  • Massoniinae: Lachenalia aloides
  • Massoniinae: Lachenalia bulbifera
  • Massoniinae: Lachenalia cf. longituba W/C
  • Massoniinae: Lachenalia ensifolia
  • Massoniinae: Lachenalia rubida
  • Massoniinae: Lachenalia unifolia W/C
  • Massoniinae: Lachenalia viridiflora
  • Massoniinae: Ledebouria socialis
  • Massoniinae: Massonia depressa W/C
  • Massoniinae: Massonia pygmaea
  • Massoniinae: Veltheimia bracteata

Subfamily Scilloideae
Tribe Ornithogaleae

  • Albuca bracteata
  • Albuca bracteata W/C
  • Albuca concordiana W/C
  • Albuca setosa W/C
  • Albuca spiralis W/C
  • Albuca tortuosa
  • Albuca virens W/C
  • Ornithogalum adseptentrionesvergentulum
  • Albuca concordiana W/C
  • Ornithogalum graminifolium W/C
  • Ornithogalum hispidulum W/C
  • Ornithogalum sardienii W/C
  • Ornithogalum thyrsoides

Subfamily Scilloideae
Tribe Urgineeae

  • Bowiea volubilis
  • Bowiea volubilis ssp. gariepensis
  • Bowiea volubilis ssp. volubilis
  • Drimia haworthioides
  • Drimia intricata
  • Drimia platyphylla W/C
  • Drimia sp. W/C
  • Drimia uniflora W/C
W/C = Wild Collected
= indicates flowering in past 14 days
= images available for this accession
= map available for this accession
= accession added within past 90 days
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