Merwilla plumbea
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID64401c9374687418700280 |
| Scientific name | Merwilla plumbea |
| Authority | (Lindl.) Speta |
| First published in | Phyton (Horn) 38: 109 (1998) |
General Uses Top
Suggest a correction!Common products:
- Ornamental bulbs and potted plants of Merwilla plumbea are produced for the horticultural trade. Commercial nurseries in South Africa and internationally propagate the species for sale as garden plants, landscape specimens, and occasional cut‑flower material. The plants are typically sold in 1‑ to 5‑liter containers or as bare‑bulb starter kits. Retail channels include garden centres, online plant catalogues, and plant fairs focused on South African flora. The trade is documented in catalogues such as the RHS Plant Finder, which lists the species under its accepted name with horticultural descriptors, and in the SANBI Plantzafrica entry, which notes its popularity among gardeners.
Properties relevant to use:
- The species forms robust, storage‑tolerant bulbs that can be kept dry for several months before planting, facilitating year‑round nursery production. Bulbs produce a compact rosette of fleshy, semi‑succulent leaves and a tall inflorescence bearing dozens of bell‑shaped flowers that transition from pale blue to a coppery bronze as they mature, a trait valued in ornamental displays. Plants thrive in full sun to partial shade and prefer well‑drained, sandy or loamy soils; they are adapted to the temperate conditions of their native South African range, making them suitable for garden cultivation in comparable climates. The inflorescence stems are sufficiently sturdy for use as cut stems and retain the attractive colour for a short period after harvest.
Standards and regulation:
- Cultivation and trade of Merwilla plumbea are governed by national biodiversity legislation (South Africa’s National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act, 2004), which requires permits for collection from wild populations but permits unrestricted trade of nursery‑grown stock. No species‑specific export quotas exist, and the species is not listed under CITES. The horticultural industry follows the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants (ICNCP) for naming cultivated varieties and the International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) rules for bulb testing and certification, ensuring genetic identity and health of planting material.
Sustainability and sourcing:
- Commercial supply is overwhelmingly derived from cultivated bulbs produced by specialist nurseries; wild harvesting is discouraged and regulated to protect natural populations. Growers commonly increase stock through division of offsets, a method that maintains genetic fidelity and reduces reliance on wild material. Conservation programmes in South Africa, such as those coordinated by the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), promote ex situ cultivation of threatened geophytes as part of national plant conservation strategies, and Merwilla plumbea is included in these efforts.
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Merwilla kraussii | (Baker) Speta | Phyton (Horn) 38: 109 (1998) |
| Merwilla natalensis | (Planch.) Speta | Phyton (Horn) 38: 109 (1998) |
| Scilla kraussii | Baker | J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 13: 243 (1873) |
| Scilla natalensis | Planch. | Fl. Serres Jard. Eur. 10: 185, t. 1043 (1855) |
| Scilla plumbea | Lindl. | Edwards's Bot. Reg. 16: t. 1355 (1830) |
Common names Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Language | Common/alternative name |
|---|---|
| Shona | inguduza |
Germination/Propagation Top
Suggest a correction or add new data!
No germination or propagation data was added yet.
Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top
Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
-
Africa click to expand
-
South Tropical Africa
- Malawi
- Mozambique
- Zimbabwe
-
Southern Africa
- Cape Provinces
- Free State
- Kwazulu-Natal
- Lesotho
- Northern Provinces
- Swaziland
-
South Tropical Africa
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0000689696 |
| Tropicos | 100224122 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:1003470-1 |
| The Plant List | kew-281170 |
| Open Tree Of Life | 224024 |
| Observations.org | 285116 |
| NCBI Taxonomy | 208511 |
| IPNI | 1003470-1 |
| iNaturalist | 553485 |
| GBIF | 2768144 |
| Freebase | /m/03gzkzl |
| EPPO | SLLNA |
| EOL | 1003660 |
| Elurikkus | 299744 |
| USDA GRIN | 447325 |
| Wikipedia | Merwilla_plumbea |
Genomes (via NCBI) Top
No reference genome is available on NCBI yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.
Scientific Literature Top
Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
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Phytochemical Profile Top
Add a new one!
Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
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| Name | PubChem ID | Canonical SMILES | MW | Found in | Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Triterpenoids | |||||
| (3'R,4S,4'R,5R,5'S,10S,13S,14S,17S)-4'-hydroxy-4-(hydroxymethyl)-3',4,10,13,14-pentamethyl-5'-propanoylspiro[2,5,6,7,11,12,15,16-octahydro-1H-cyclopenta[a]phenanthrene-17,2'-oxolane]-3-one | 102332595 | Click to see | 472.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP0204803 |
| (3beta,17alpha,23S)-17,23-Epoxy-3,28,29-trihydroxy-27-norlanost-8-en-24-one | 73816066 | Click to see CCC(=O)C1CC(C2(O1)CCC3(C2(CCC4=C3CCC5C4(CCC(C5(CO)CO)O)C)C)C)C | 474.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP0204803 |
| (3beta,17alpha,23S)-17,23-Epoxy-3,29-dihydroxy-27-norlanost-8-en-24-one | 73816064 | Click to see | 458.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP0204803 |
| [3-Hydroxy-4-(hydroxymethyl)-4,4',10,13,14-pentamethyl-2'-propanoylspiro[1,2,3,5,6,7,11,12,15,16-decahydrocyclopenta[a]phenanthrene-17,5'-oxolane]-3'-yl] acetate | 162868860 | Click to see | 516.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP0204803 |
| 1-[(2'S,3S,3'R,4S,4'R,5R,10S,13S,14S,17S)-3,3'-dihydroxy-4-(hydroxymethyl)-4,4',10,13,14-pentamethylspiro[1,2,3,5,6,7,11,12,15,16-decahydrocyclopenta[a]phenanthrene-17,5'-oxolane]-2'-yl]propan-1-one | 21632989 | Click to see | 474.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP0204803 |
| 1-[(2'S,3S,4'R,5R,10S,13S,14S,17S)-3-hydroxy-4,4-bis(hydroxymethyl)-4',10,13,14-tetramethylspiro[1,2,3,5,6,7,11,12,15,16-decahydrocyclopenta[a]phenanthrene-17,5'-oxolane]-2'-yl]propan-1-one | 21632990 | Click to see | 474.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP0204803 |
| 1-[3,3'-Dihydroxy-4-(hydroxymethyl)-4,4',10,13,14-pentamethylspiro[1,2,3,5,6,7,11,12,15,16-decahydrocyclopenta[a]phenanthrene-17,5'-oxolane]-2'-yl]propan-1-one | 73816065 | Click to see CCC(=O)C1C(C(C2(O1)CCC3(C2(CCC4=C3CCC5C4(CCC(C5(C)CO)O)C)C)C)C)O | 474.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP0204803 |
| 15-Deoxoeucosterol | 21632988 | Click to see CCC(=O)C1CC(C2(O1)CCC3(C2(CCC4=C3CCC5C4(CCC(C5(C)CO)O)C)C)C)C | 458.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP0204803 |
| 22-Acetoxy-15-deoxoeucosterol | 15834276 | Click to see | 516.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP0204803 |
| 4'-hydroxy-4-(hydroxymethyl)-3',4,10,13,14-pentamethyl-5'-propanoylspiro[2,5,6,7,11,12,15,16-octahydro-1H-cyclopenta[a]phenanthrene-17,2'-oxolane]-3-one | 162970299 | Click to see | 472.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP0204803 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Steroids and steroid derivatives / Hydroxysteroids / 3-hydroxysteroids | |||||
| 2'-(1-hydroxypropyl)-4,4',10,13,14-pentamethylspiro[2,3,4,5,6,7,11,12,15,16-decahydro-1H-cyclopenta[a]phenanthrene-17,5'-oxolane]-3,3'-diol | 73803822 | Click to see | 446.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP0204803 |
| 5'-(1-hydroxypropyl)-3',10,13,14-tetramethylspiro[2,3,4,5,6,7,11,12,15,16-decahydro-1H-cyclopenta[a]phenanthrene-17,2'-oxolane]-3-ol | 163060531 | Click to see | 416.60 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP0204803 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Steroids and steroid derivatives / Hydroxysteroids / 3-hydroxysteroids / 3-beta-hydroxysteroids | |||||
| (2'R,3S,3'R,4R,4'R,5S,10S,13S,14S,17S)-2'-[(1S)-1-hydroxypropyl]-4,4',10,13,14-pentamethylspiro[2,3,4,5,6,7,11,12,15,16-decahydro-1H-cyclopenta[a]phenanthrene-17,5'-oxolane]-3,3'-diol | 162924600 | Click to see | 446.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP0204803 |
| (3S,3'R,5S,5'S,10S,13S,14S,17S)-5'-[(1S)-1-hydroxypropyl]-3',10,13,14-tetramethylspiro[2,3,4,5,6,7,11,12,15,16-decahydro-1H-cyclopenta[a]phenanthrene-17,2'-oxolane]-3-ol | 163060532 | Click to see CCC(C1CC(C2(O1)CCC3(C2(CCC4=C3CCC5C4(CCC(C5)O)C)C)C)C)O | 416.60 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP0204803 |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Homoisoflavonoids / Homoisoflavans / Homoisoflavanones | |||||
| (3R)-5,7-dihydroxy-3-[(3-hydroxy-4-methoxy-phenyl)methyl]chroman-4-one | 638295 | Click to see COC1=C(C=C(C=C1)CC2COC3=CC(=CC(=C3C2=O)O)O)O | 316.30 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(99)00155-7 |
| (3R)-5,7-dihydroxy-3-[(3-hydroxy-4-methoxyphenyl)methyl]-6-methoxy-2,3-dihydrochromen-4-one | 162921322 | Click to see | 346.30 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/J.BMC.2005.01.036 |
| (3S)-5,7-dihydroxy-3-[(3-hydroxy-4-methoxyphenyl)methyl]-2,3-dihydrochromen-4-one | 92155497 | Click to see COC1=C(C=C(C=C1)CC2COC3=CC(=CC(=C3C2=O)O)O)O | 316.30 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(99)00155-7 |
| (3S)-5,7-dihydroxy-3-[(3-hydroxy-4-methoxyphenyl)methyl]-6-methoxy-2,3-dihydrochromen-4-one | 162921321 | Click to see | 346.30 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(99)00155-7 https://doi.org/10.1021/NP0204803 |
| (3S)-5,7-dihydroxy-3-[(4-hydroxyphenyl)methyl]-6-methoxy-2,3-dihydrochromen-4-one | 92155498 | Click to see COC1=C(C2=C(C=C1O)OCC(C2=O)CC3=CC=C(C=C3)O)O | 316.30 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP0204803 |
| 3-(3-Hydroxy-4-methoxybenzyl)-5,7-dihydroxychroman-4-one | 404571 | Click to see COC1=C(C=C(C=C1)CC2COC3=CC(=CC(=C3C2=O)O)O)O | 316.30 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(99)00155-7 |
| 3-(4-Hydroxybenzyl)-5,7-dihydroxy-6-methoxychroman-4-one | 404572 | Click to see | 316.30 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP0204803 |
| Cremastranone | 21676260 | Click to see | 346.30 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(99)00155-7 https://doi.org/10.1021/NP0204803 |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Isoflavonoids / Isoflavans / Isoflavanones | |||||
| 5,7-dihydroxyspiro[2H-chromene-3,4'-9,11-dioxatricyclo[6.3.0.03,6]undeca-1(8),2,6-triene]-4-one | 85553711 | Click to see | 312.27 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP0204803 |
| Scillascillin | 75492722 | Click to see C1C2=CC3=C(C=C2C14COC5=CC(=CC(=C5C4=O)O)O)OCO3 | 312.27 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP0204803 |
Collections Top
| In private collections | 0 |
| In public collections | 0 |