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Accession Data:

Massonia depressa Houtt.

  • Common Name: Hedgehog Lily
  • Family: Asparagaceae Juss.

  • Country of Origin: South Africa: Kamieskroon
  • Habitat: semi arid succulent Karoo

  • Description: The flowers are low to the ground, dull colored, with a yeasty odor and sucrose-dominant jelly-like nectar that is easy for the rodents (gerbils) to lap.
  • Culture: Chilly temperatures, strong sun and ample water are required in the autumn for natural-looking compact growth. Plants do well in pots outside from September until hard freezes are predicted. Plants should be wintered in a cool, airy greenhouse with as much light as possible.

Accession Data:

  • Accession # 200700211
  • Source: Kamieskroon
  • Provenance:
    Kamieskroon, NC, RSA. Wild-collected seed via Silverhill Seeds.
  • Accession Date: 11-08-2007
  • Bench: 6001 - BPB:6000:Bench1
    • Currently: active - healthy
    • Qty: 3 confirmed on 04-09-2025

Classification:

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

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):

  • Non-flying Rodent Pollination (therophily)
  • EEB Greenhouse Holdings native to: Cape Provinces

References (external):

  1. Rodent Pollination in the African Lily Massonia depressa (Hyacinthaceae), Steven D. Johnson, Anton Pauw and Jeremy Midgley, American Journal of Botany, Vol. 88, No. 10 (Oct., 2001), pp. 1768-1773. Accessed 10 September 2015.
  2. Of Mice & Massonia's at PlantzAfrica. Last accessed on Monday, March 05, 2018.
  3. Image #00 used from Betsy & Floyd - on the road again. Uncertain copyright status. Last accessed on Monday, March 05, 2018.
  4. A Curious Case of Gerbil Pollination at In Defense of Plants. Last accessed on Wednesday, July 04, 2018.
  5. Angiosperm Phylogeny Website at MoBot. Last accessed on Tuesday, 03 December, 2019.

data regenerated on Thu, 24 Apr 2025 15:27:34 -0400 [bcm v4.0]

Images:

Massonia depressa

Additional images for this accession:

Click on thumbnails to enlarge

Current Accessions in the Asparagaceae

Subfamily Agavoideae

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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
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  • Agave victoriae-reginae
  • Agave victoriae-reginae
  • Beschorneria septentrionalis
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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

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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

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  • 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 W/C
  • Albuca bracteata
  • 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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